Panama makes first official presidential Palestine visit

Juan Carlos Varela became the first Panamanian president to officially visit Palestine when he met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the palace of the Muqata in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Friday, May 19.

He deposited a wreath of flowers at the grave of the historic Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and participated with Abbas in an iftar (food that breaks the fast in Ramadan) during their working meeting, reports the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The president and his delegation moved to occupied West Bank territory after a two-day official visit to Israel, where he signed a bilateral free trade agreement, the first between Israel and a Central American state.

“Panama is determined to play an active and constructive role in the political process through a two-state solution, and to participate as an intermediary in the search for a solution to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” said Varela

Panama  will not follow the steps of the US, Guatemala, and Paraguay and  move its embassy to Jerusalem until  “there is a peace agreement”, respecting the consensus of the international community

Varela also met with members of the Panamanian community in Palestine who return there during the celebration of Ramadan,

In an  earlier interview with the Efe news agency in Jerusalem, Varela said he is committed to peace in the region, promoted in a broader framework than before, with the participation of more countries and supported by the international community.

Before his trip, Varela announced that he hopes to inaugurate an “office of interests” in Palestine