Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with the President of Panama José Raúl Mulino, at Maximos Mansion.
During the meeting, they discussed international developments and prospects for strengthening and deepening bilateral relations.
Particular emphasis was placed on the tourism sector and the potential for increasing tourist traffic between the two countries.
The two countries’ priorities for the UN Security Council for the 2025–2026 term were also discussed, with an emphasis on their shared interest in maritime security and free trade. The Prime Minister reiterated Greece’s positions on the need to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
There was also an exchange of views on the decarbonization in shipping. Kyriakos Mitsotakis reiterated the need for a realistic and feasible roadmap to strike a balance between environmental sensitivity and maintaining the competitiveness of shipping. He stressed that it is important that the cost of such decisions does not ultimately burden consumers.
In the presence of the two leaders, the following agreements were signed:
– Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Greece and Panama on the establishment of a mechanism for political consultations between the two Ministers of Foreign Affairs, George Gerapetritis and Javier E. Martínez-Acha Vásquez.
– Memorandum of Understanding between the two governments on cooperation in the field of tourism, between Minister of Tourism Olga Kefalogianni and the General Administrator of the Tourism Authority of the Republic of Panama, Gloria de León Zubieta.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Prime Minister and the President of Panama had the following dialogue:
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: It’s a pleasure, Mr. President, to welcome you. And I’m very happy to observe that our bilateral relationship is getting stronger and stronger. I’m very happy with the fact that we’ve finally opened an embassy in Panama, that we’re improving our bilateral trade, and that we’re also working very closely together on issues of freedom of navigation and security of maritime transport, which is an area of common interest for both our countries.
I very much welcomed your presence yesterday at the “Posidonia” exhibition, which is, as you saw, the biggest single exhibition dedicated to the maritime sector. So again, welcome.
José Raúl Mulino: Thank you very much. I, first of all, appreciate very much the time. I know you have a busy schedule. For me and for all my delegation and the government, it’s a great opportunity to have you as one of our reliable partners, especially in the business that we conduct together.
