Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son held talks with his Panamanian counterpart Érika Mouynes in Hanoi on April 5 to discuss ways to strengthen partnership between the two countries across all fields including politics, diplomacy, economy, trade and agriculture as well as bilateral coordination at international and multilateral forums.

The two FMs expressed their wish to promote bilateral cooperation in promosing areas such as maritime transport, climate change response, and renewable energy.

They agreed on the viewpoint of settling international disputes through peaceful measures on the basis of international law.

They shared their delight at the growing ties between Vietnam and Panama, especially through the implementation of cooperation mechanisms. They concurred to continue to effectively promote the deputy ministeral level political consultation and Joint Committee on economic, trade and investment cooperation mechanisms, as well as face-to-face and online meetings between the two countries.

Vietnam and Panama have seen positive results in economic partnership, with Panama always being among Vietnam's 10 biggest trading partners in Latin America. Two-way trade between the two countries has risen from 250 million USD in 2014 to 467 million USD in 2021. Particularly, trade between the two countries surged 45.5 percent year on year in 2021 despite COVID-19 impacts.

FM Son proposed that Panama support the protection of the interests of Vietnamese citizens living, studying and working in Panama, and effectively coordinate to make the country a transit place for Vietnamese products in the Latin American region. Vietnam will acts as a bridge for Panamanian products to enter the Southeast Asian market, he added.

Son affirmed that Vietnam is keen on bolstering the traditional friendship and all-round cooperation with Panama in a substantive and effective manner.

For her part, Minister Mouynes spoke highly of Vietnam’s achievements in implementing the “Doi moi” (Renewal) process, saying that the Panamanian Government always treasures and hopes to strengthen ties with Vietnam.

She agreed that the two countries continue to work closely together to reinforce bilateral cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral aspects, for benefits of the two countries' people, and for peace, stability and development in the two regions and the world as a whole.

Within the framework of her visit to Vietnam from April 5-6, the Panamanian FM paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum in Hanoi, met Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and had a working session with Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien./.