Panama’s Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha Vasquez has described India as “already a superpower” and urged for the elevation of bilateral ties into a long-term strategic partnership.

He made these remarks during delegation-level talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi, emphasising Panama’s role as India’s gateway to Latin America for trade, investment, and global supply chains.

Vasquez said it was a privilege to visit India at a time when the country is playing an increasingly important role in shaping the global order. He noted that while some experts consider India an emerging superpower, Panama views India as a civilisational power whose global voice continues to grow in importance. He added that India’s transformation has inspired other nations, including Panama, to think more ambitiously about their own future.

The Panamanian Foreign Minister stressed that his country sought to move beyond the traditional friendship shared with India for more than six decades. He underlined the intention to build a strategic partnership for the decades ahead, one that would encompass deeper economic cooperation and shared global responsibilities.

Highlighting Panama’s strategic location and connectivity, Vasquez pointed to the Panama Canal as more than an engineering achievement, describing it as a trusted platform for global commerce. He said Panama should be seen as a strategic extension of India’s international economic outreach, serving as India’s main gateway to Latin America and Central America.

He emphasised that both India and Panama are vibrant democracies committed to openness, international law, and economic opportunity. He argued that democracies have a unique responsibility to demonstrate that innovation, cooperation, and openness remain the best path to prosperity.

Seeking greater economic engagement, Vasquez proposed the creation of a high-level trade and investment working group to facilitate investment flows between the two countries. He explained that Panama already has a legal framework to attract investment and expressed hope that Indian multinational companies would establish a presence in Panama.

He identified pharmaceuticals, medical services, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, data centres, advanced manufacturing, and regional distribution centres as potential areas for collaboration. He described Panama as the ideal regional platform for Indian companies seeking to expand across Latin America, noting that “India manufactures for the world; Panama connects the world.”

The talks between Vasquez and Jaishankar are expected to lay the groundwork for a new phase in India-Panama relations, one that moves beyond symbolic friendship into a substantive strategic partnership. This initiative reflects Panama’s ambition to position itself as a critical hub for India’s outreach to Latin America, while also recognising India’s growing stature in global affairs.

ANI