Panama’s Foreign Affairs Minister Javier Eduardo Martinez-Acha Vasquez arrived in New Delhi on Sunday for a five-day official visit to India.

His arrival marks a significant step in strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries. The visit is scheduled to run from 19 to 23 July, with a series of high-level engagements planned.

Welcoming the dignitary, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X, extending a warm greeting to the Panamanian Foreign Minister. He emphasised that India and Panama share a close partnership anchored in shared values, mutual interests, and goodwill. This public message highlighted the cordiality and optimism surrounding the visit.

The official program will include several important meetings with senior Indian leadership. On Monday, Martinez-Acha is scheduled to meet Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal at the New Parliament Building. Discussions are expected to focus on strategies to broaden bilateral trade and economic relations, reflecting the growing commercial engagement between the two nations.

Later the same day, delegation-level talks will be held with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at Hyderabad House. These discussions are anticipated to review the comprehensive framework of India-Panama relations and identify new pathways for cooperation in sectors of mutual benefit. The talks are expected to reinforce the strategic dimension of the partnership.

The Foreign Minister will continue his engagements in New Delhi on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he is scheduled to meet Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal at Transport Bhavan. These discussions are projected to focus heavily on maritime cooperation, logistics, port infrastructure development, and enhancing connectivity between India and Panama. Maritime collaboration is seen as a key area of synergy given Panama’s strategic location and India’s expanding maritime interests.

The visit will conclude with the delegation’s departure from India on Thursday. The high-profile nature of the trip underscores the intensifying engagement between the two republics across trade, commerce, connectivity, and diplomatic collaboration.

This visit follows a sequence of growing diplomatic exchanges. Earlier this month, India’s Ambassador to Panama, Sumit Seth, met Foreign Minister Martinez-Acha to deliberate on mechanisms to further cement bilateral ties.

During the meeting, Ambassador Seth presented the ceremonial “India-Panama Flags Pin” to the Foreign Minister. The embassy noted that both sides exchanged perspectives on scaling up cooperation and reinforcing the long-standing friendship linking the two states.

India and Panama share warm and friendly ties grounded in democratic ideals, mutual respect, and escalating cooperation across trade, investment, maritime affairs, connectivity, and multilateral forums. 

The current visit by Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha is anticipated to inject fresh momentum into these bilateral dynamics and unlock new avenues for strategic collaboration across pivotal sectors. It also reflects Panama’s intent to deepen its outreach to India as part of its wider engagement with Asia, while India continues to strengthen its partnerships across Latin America.

ANI