Vietnam, Panama to deepen strategic cooperation and connectivity

The agreement was reached during talks in Hanoi on October 6 between General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President of Vietnam To Lam and President of the Republic of Panama José Raúl Mulino, during the latter’s official visit to Vietnam from October 5 to 8.

General Secretary and President To Lam warmly welcomed President José Raúl Mulino, stressing the significance of the first visit by a head of state between the two countries in 14 years, following the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Panama diplomatic relations in 2025.

He briefed his guest on Vietnam’s recent socio-economic and foreign affairs developments and its development orientations for the coming period. He affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to its traditional friendship with Panama, as well as to Panama’s strategic role and position in the region and the world.

With its dynamic economy and the Panama Canal, together with its role as a major regional hub for maritime and air connectivity, logistics and finance, Panama can work with Vietnam to serve as a gateway for trade and logistics between Southeast Asia and Latin America, he said.

He expressed his belief that the two countries would make effective use of their potential for cooperation in trade, agriculture, maritime and aviation sectors, logistics and digital transformation, helping make bilateral relations increasingly substantive, effective and sustainable.

Expanding cooperation across trade, agriculture and logistics

President Mulino thanked Vietnam for being the first country to sign the protocol to the treaty concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal in 1979. He congratulated the Vietnamese State and people on the major achievements recorded during four decades of Doi Moi (Renewal), and affirmed that Panama considers Vietnam a top-priority partner in the Asia-Pacific region.

Panama is ready to serve as a gateway connecting Vietnam with economies in Latin America, President Mulino said.

The two leaders welcomed the positive development of bilateral relations and emphasised the considerable potential for mutually complementary cooperation, particularly in economic, trade and investment areas. They exchanged views on strategic directions to make bilateral ties deeper and more substantive.

They agreed to increase high-level and other-level exchanges through Party, State, parliamentary and people-to-people channels, strengthen diplomatic and consular representation in each other’s countries, and regularly and effectively implement bilateral dialogue and cooperation mechanisms, including political consultations and the Joint Commission on Economic, Trade and Investment Cooperation.

The two sides also agreed to expand cooperation in agriculture, telecommunications, infrastructure, transport, port logistics, banking, tourism, culture, education and people-to-people exchanges.

They will strengthen the sharing of experience and cooperation in sustainable agricultural development, including facilitating market access for agricultural products from each country.

The leaders highlighted the need to promote cooperation between localities, including Ho Chi Minh City and Panama City, to share experience and support each other in developing financial centres linked with seaports, logistics and bonded warehouses.

They also pledged to strengthen cooperation in security and law enforcement and combat transnational crime, creating a solid foundation for expanding bilateral cooperation and exchanges in other areas.

New cooperation agreements signed

On multilateral cooperation, the two sides agreed to continue coordinating and supporting each other at international organisations and multilateral forums, while exchanging views on regional and international issues of shared concern.

They reaffirmed the importance of international law and the United Nations Charter, and supported maintaining freedom and safety of navigation and overflight and settling disputes by peaceful means on the basis of respect for international law, particularly the UN Charter and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

During the talks, President Mulino invited General Secretary and President To Lam to pay a state-level visit to Panama, describing it as an opportunity to create a new historic milestone in bilateral relations.

General Secretary and President To Lam thanked his guest for the invitation and expressed wish to visit Panama, asking the foreign ministries of the two countries to coordinate and arrange the visit at a suitable time.

Following the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of nine bilateral cooperation documents covering maritime transport; cooperation in combating transnational crime; agriculture; customs; tourism; civil aviation; cooperation between diplomatic academies; cooperation between the Vietnam Maritime University and the International Maritime University of Panama; and cooperation between the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VASS) and Panama’s Agricultural Innovation Institute (IDIAP).

The two leaders then met with the press from the two countries and international media on the outcome of their talks. 

Vietnam, Panama highlight new opportunities for trade and investment

VOV.VN - Vietnam and Panama will tap their respective economic and geographic advantages to expand trade, investment, connectivity and supply-chain links between Southeast Asia and Latin America, their leaders said at a press briefing in Hanoi on October 6.