Seven Presidents and 68 Delegations are Invited to Panama for the Bicentennial of the Amphictyonic Congress
Two international events will coincide in Panama. The Government of Panama has invited presidents to the commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the Amphictyonic Congress.
Seven heads of state and a total of 68 delegations will participate in the events of the Bicentennial of the Amphictyonic Congress, which, together with the 56th OAS General Assembly, will be held in Panama this June, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MIRE) of the Central American country said on Saturday.
A statement from the Panamanian Foreign Ministry indicates that “to date, 68 delegations have confirmed their participation in the activities of the High-Level Week commemorating the Bicentennial of the Amphictyonic Congress of Panama, which will be held from June 20 to 27, 2026.”
The report adds that of these delegations, “seven will be headed by Heads of State or Government, 32 by ministers or deputy ministers, four by secretaries general of international organizations and 25 by ambassadors on special mission, directors or other high government representatives.”
This “broad participation,” according to the MIRE, “reflects the interest of the international community in the commemoration of this historic milestone and reaffirms the relevance of Panama as a space for dialogue, agreement and cooperation among nations.” The Commemoration of the Bicentennial of the Amphictyonic Congress of Panama will take place on June 22, and from June 22 to 24 the 56th ordinary session of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS).
The OAS General Assembly is attended by the foreign ministers of the member countries, and generally does not include the presidents and heads of state. For its part, the Government of Panama has invited presidents to the commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the Amphictyonic Congress. For the Panamanian government, there is great symbolism in the fact that these two meetings coincide in Panama, where 200 years ago the Amphictyonic Congress convened by the independence hero Simón Bolívar (1783-1830) laid the foundations of what was later called multilateralism, in addition to being the primary antecedent of the OAS.
Amphictyonic relates to an ancient Greek religious association of neighboring tribes or city-states (an amphictyony) formed to protect and manage a shared temple or sanctuary as pictured below. The most famous example is the Delphic Amphictyony, which administered the Temple of Apollo and organized the Pythian Games.
