Josep Borrell met with President of Panama Laurentino Cortizo and MFA Erika Mouynes

The president of the Republic Laurentino Cortizo Cohen He received the High Representative for Foreign Policy of the European Union (EU), Josep Borrellin order to evaluate the bilateral links from the country that can serve as a “hub to crystallize rapprochements between Central America, the Caribbean and Europe.”

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Accompanied by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, ErIka Moynes; Agricultural Development, Augusto Valderrama and Economy and Finance, Héctor Alexanderthe Panamanian president received the European Union delegation in the Cabinet Council Room, for a meeting that lasted about half an hour.

Cortizo Cohen took advantage of the meeting to tell Borrell that our country is on the side of international law “what we have done in relation to Russia and Ukraine before the UN and the OAS is the right thing to dowhich is expected of a country like Panama”, he indicated.

Coming from Chile where he held meetings with President Gabriel Boric and other authorities, Borrell concludes his six-day tour of the region in Panama by attending the meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Central America and the Caribbean who participate in our country in the meetings of SICA and Caricom.

Panama holds the pro tempore presidency of the Central American Integration System (SICA) and in this call adds representatives of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), in addition to organizing exchanges separately with the Heads of Foreign Affairs of both organizations.

In his first meeting with President Cortizo Cohen, the high representative for the Foreign Policy of the European Union, He expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to meet with Cortizo Cohen and especially for Panama’s support regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, before international forums.

“We have condemned the invasion of Ukraine and we are going to continue condemning it, just as we are going to continue calling for the withdrawal of the invading forces of Ukrainian territory,” replied Cortizo Cohen.

For his part, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy He said that the purpose of his visit to Latin America is to “pay more attention, especially to Central America and the Caribbean” and that this visit serves to reaffirm the will of the European bloc to strengthen that relationship.

“You are going to be the neuralgic point of connectivity for that relationship between the EU and this region of the continent”, stressed Borrell. In this sense, he congratulated Panama for the call for important dialogues between foreign ministers, which reaffirms the efforts of the National Government to strengthen the conciliatory role that this country has always played.

The visit of the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy also includes official talks with the President of the Republic, and Chancellor Erika Mouynes; a tour of the Panama Canal.

Also participating in this meeting were the Vice Chancellor, Marta Gordón; Yavel Francis Lanuza, from the Embassy of Panama to the Kingdom of Belgium, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and Mission to the European Union and Isbeth Quiel, Director of Foreign Policy of the Foreign Ministry.

The European Union delegation was composed of HE Chris HOORNAERT, Ambassador of the European Union in Panama; Jonathan Hatwell, Head of Division for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean at the European External Action Service; HS Pelayo CASTRO ZUZUÁRREGUI, Senior Counselor and Member of the Cabinet; HS Kristin Lang, Head of Division, Latin America and the Caribbean Public Sector, European Investment Bank (EIB).