Panama Backs India's UNSC Bid and Pitches Trade Hub

Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Eduardo Martinez-Acha Vasquez visited New Delhi on July 20 to position Panama as a strategic manufacturing and trade hub for Indian companies entering Latin America, the Caribbean, and Central America. During the visit, Vasquez outlined a five-year roadmap for bilateral ties, emphasizing Panama's economic stability and the neutrality of the Panama Canal, which has seen increased transit due to geopolitical disruptions in other shipping lanes.

India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with Vasquez to discuss expanding collaboration in technology, pharmaceuticals, and education. Jaishankar described Panama as a natural bridge for global trade routes and thanked the Panamanian government for condemning terrorism and supporting India's right to self-defence following a 2025 terrorist attack in Pahalgam.

In a separate announcement, Vasquez expressed strong support for India's bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, characterizing India as an emerging superpower. He argued that global governance must be transformed to reflect current realities and advocated for the inclusion of Latin American and Caribbean representation to create equilibrium within the UN. Additionally, Vasquez suggested intelligence cooperation to combat the links between terrorism and narcotrafficking and expressed hope for the restoration of democratic governance in Venezuela through regional diplomacy.