Panama City, Feb 23 (RHC) The governments of Panama and Cuba evaluated today a common agenda aimed at strengthening trade and cooperation relations in various sectors, including biopharmaceuticals.
This was confirmed by the heads of the island’s Ministries of Foreign Trade and Investment (Mincex), Rodrigo Malmierca; and of Commerce and Industry of the Central American country, Federico Alfaro, in a fraternal meeting.
In that meeting, Alfaro praised the warm reception he received last January when he visited Havana accompanying Foreign Minister Janaina Tewaney and the fruitful results of a first meeting with Malmierca.
Alfaro mentioned the importance of making better use of the logistical and port potential that Panama offers, particularly the Colon Free Zone (ZLC), in addition to tourism.
In the same way, he emphasized the possibilities of achieving the insertion of Cuban exporting companies in Panama and vice versa, greater participation in fairs and business roundtables, as well as promoting foreign investment projects with an emphasis on the biopharmaceutical sphere.
For his part, Malmierca explained that after two years of a health crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic, various perspectives are opening up in terms of trade and investment and recalled previous agreements such as the one that has existed since 2019 with the Authority for the Attraction of Investments and Export Promotion (Propanamá), which he called to revitalize.
He also mentioned the Economic Complementation Agreement in force for both nations and the need to enrich it and in that direction, he mentioned building alliances in the production and marketing of medicines, vital for human health.
During the meeting, the Cuban side was represented by the ambassador in Panama, Víctor Cairo; and members of the visiting delegation, including Janet Fernández, director of trade policy at Mincex; the general secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, Omar Fernández; and Ailen Díaz, export director of Biocubafarma.
Among the Panamanian authorities that accompanied Alfaro were José Alejandro Rojas, counselor minister for private investment facilitation of the Presidency of the Republic; the General Manager of the ZLC, Giovanni Ferrari; and ambassador Carmen Gisela Vergara, Director of Propanamá, among others.
Until next Saturday, the Cuban delegation will meet with authorities from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Panama.
They will also meet with national and Cuban businessmen installed in the Central American country the portfolio of foreign investment projects, new trade opportunities, and the exportable offer of the Antillean nation.
Furthermore, they will fraternize with members of the state mission, the National Coordinator of Solidarity with Cuba, members of social organizations, and the Martí Association of Cuban Residents in Panama. (Source: PL).
