Varela signals US – Panama first
Panama respects the sovereign decisions of other countries and expects “the same respect for ours to continue to strengthen bilateral relations” said President Juan Carlos Varela on Sunday, September 9.
Varela’s statement came after the US State Department called the heads of its diplomatic missions in Panama, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic, to Washington to discuss “the effects of the decision of the three countries not to recognize Taiwan, and to establish diplomatic relationships with the People’s Republic of China.
In a statement, Varela recalled that Panama has a historical relationship of 115 years with the people and the governments of the United States, with their institutions and security agencies.
“We are always moving forward in the fight against organized crime, drug trafficking, and terrorism, we share values of democracy and freedom, our economic models are based on free enterprise and the development of our nationals in the pursuit of the welfare of citizens, “he said.
Panama will continue working together with the United States to maintain the political stability of the region but
“As a sovereign country, we will always take our foreign policy decisions based on the interests of the Republic of Panama. We are also confident that Panama’s best interests do not quarrel with the interests of our strategic partners, ” said Varela.