José Raúl Mulino states that the document that places the country as an associated state must be signed at the Montevideo summit in December
The president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, said on Thursday (14.Nov.2024) that the country is “pronto” to enter the (Southern Common Market) as an associated state. According to him, the document must be signed at the summit in Montevideo (Uruguay), scheduled for December.
“Everything is ready, at the next summit in Montevideo it will be a great honor and a great opportunity to sign the document that integrates us into this 1st world trading bloc”, said Mulino, quoted in from the Panamanian Presidency.
In a televised statement, Mulino thanked the bloc countries – especially “godparents” such as Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay – for supporting Panama in the process of joining Mercosur.
According to him, being on the block represents “a very important advance in terms of foreign and regional trade” and “international relations and integration” for or Panama.
“It will allow us to explore forms of free trade with these countries. For now, the important thing is to be there [no bloco] and we will be there”, stated Mulino.
In July, the Brazilian president, (PT), met with Mulino. Both participated in the , in Asunción, Paraguay.
At the time, Mulino demonstrated support for integrating Central and South America to boost trade and investment in the region. The Panamanian president mentioned the search for strategic partnerships with Mercosur and cooperation in the fight against organized crime.
After the meeting, Lula shared on his profile on X (formerly Twitter) the main topics discussed at the meeting. “We discuss the possibilities of better exploring the potential of relations between Brazil and Panama, of increasing our cooperation in various areas, particularly in investments and trade”, these.
The Brazilian government considers that the main areas with potential for cooperation are bovine genetics, food security, agriculture and logistics. For Brazil, Panama has a strategic location and is therefore considered an important logistics and services center, which opens up opportunities for Brazilian companies.
