https://www.laestrella.com.pa/nacional/220419/secretario-eeuu-inicia-gira-panama

The Secretary of State, Antony J. Blinken, travels to Panama City, Panama, on April 19 and 20 to co-lead a Ministerial Conference on Migration and Protection and meet with President Laurentino Cortizo Cohen and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Erika Mouynes, as well as other leaders from across the hemisphere.

The US delegation will deepen ongoing efforts to enhance bilateral and regional cooperation on irregular migration and forced displacement, and lay the groundwork for a successful Summit of the Americas in June.

The Secretary of State, informed the Office of the Spokesperson, will also speak with civil society leaders about the challenge of corruption in the hemisphere.

Panama continues to be a highly valued partner of the United States. Our governments work together to promote common goals for our peoples and for the region.

This includes collaboration on regional security, strengthening democratic institutions, and promoting inclusive economic growth, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The United States has donated more than 500,000 doses of safe and effective vaccines in support of Panama’s efforts.

“We thank Panama for organizing this ministerial meeting and applaud Panama’s important leadership role in the region, including as a member of the Alliance for Development in Democracy, a regional alliance between Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Panama,” details the statement. official information from the United States.

At the Ministerial on Migration and Protection on April 19-20, the United States will join ministers from twenty countries in the Western Hemisphere to work toward a collaborative and humane approach to managing migration and protection in the region.

“Through this ministerial, we join nations throughout the hemisphere in support of the sustainable integration of refugees and other migrants, and in support of the communities that receive them; increased access to international protection for those who need it; expanded legal avenues; and support for the humane management of migration,” added the note.

The Panama Ministerial will contribute to the Ninth Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, California from June 6 to 10, 2022.

The Summit is the only hemispheric gathering of leaders from North, South, Central America and the Caribbean, and it is the first time the United States will host since the inaugural summit in Miami in 1994.

The theme of the summit, “Building a Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Future,” responds to the most pressing issues in our hemisphere, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the cracks it exposed in health, economic, educational, and social systems. ; threats to democracy; the climate crisis; and lack of equitable access to economic, social, and political opportunities.

The United States is Panama’s main economic partner. The largest direct investor in Panama. They have more than $13 billion in bilateral trade in goods and services, and we are the largest beneficiary of the Panama Canal, with 72 percent of all Canal transit moving goods to or from the United States. Exports of goods and services from Panama to the United States contribute to more and better jobs in the country.

The United States supports Panama’s economic recovery and helps Panama attract more investment from the US.

The United States is the largest humanitarian donor of international organizations in Panama, whose work complements the efforts of the Government of Panama to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to vulnerable migrants and refugees.

The United States donated more than 500,000 Pfizer vaccines to Panama to support Panama’s response to COVID-19. We also provided more than $18 million in assistance and delivered more than 100 ventilators, 14 hospital tents, and 170,000 Covid-19 test kits, as well as hundreds of thousands of masks and other personal protective equipment.