Panamanian President Mulino Concluded his State Visit to Athens Greece

The President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, concluded his State visit to Athens, Greece, strengthening Panama’s position as one of the world’s leading maritime registries, reinforcing the confidence of users of its flag and sealing the bilateral ties between the two countries.  The tour was conducted by unifying criteria for a stronger and more effective maritime and commercial collaboration.  During the tour, President Mulino met with the President of the Hellenic Republic and the Prime Minister of Greece, Konstantinos Tasoulas and Kyriakos Mitsotakis. At this meeting, the need to maintain and guarantee competitive trade was emphasized.

At the Maximus Mansion, both leaders witnessed the signing of two memoranda of understanding: one on cooperation in tourism and the other on political consultations.  The first agreement aims to promote tourism development in the public and private sectors, the exchange of information on promotion and investment, innovation, digitalization, education, and vocational training. The public consultation agreement, meanwhile, seeks to strengthen and consolidate existing bilateral relations and cooperation in various areas between the two countries.

Greek Decoration

Mulino received from President Tasoulas the co-decoration of the Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer, the highest honorary distinction awarded by the Hellenic Republic to leaders for their contribution to strengthening bilateral relations between their nations.  The Panamanian president accompanied the Greek prime minister at the inauguration of the Posidonia 2026 international maritime trade fair. This event, held every two years in Athens, brings together exhibitions and facilitates the most important international meetings in the maritime and shipping sector.  This year, more than 2,000 exhibitors from 138 countries participated. 

Mulino also met with members of the Greek ship-owners community, who are the main users of the Panamanian ship registry. Their fleet moves a large portion of the world’s cargo and provides essential revenue for the Panamanian economy. This sector represents approximately 500 ships flying the Panamanian flag and accounts for more than 20% of global cargo transport.  Another achievement of President Mulino’s visit was securing new job opportunities for Panamanian sailors through Tsakos Shipping Trading, one of Greece’s leading shipping groups, which announced that four Panamax tankers, currently under construction, will be registered under the Panamanian flag.

Business Partners

Before more than a thousand attendees at the reception, which included representatives from Greek business and the public sector, as well as members of the Panamanian community who participated in Posidonia 2026, President Mulino assured them that he would protect his trading partners in Greece, home to the world’s largest merchant marine. To this end, he instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Panama Maritime Authority, and the Panamanian Embassy in Greece to undertake high-level actions to safeguard the sector. 

Given the importance of this state visit, President Mulino, who attended with the First Lady of the Republic, Maricel Cohen de Mulino, was accompanied by a high-level delegation that included Julie Lymberopulos Karnakis, Ambassador and Consul General to Greece; Javier Martínez-Acha, Minister of Foreign Affairs; José Ramón Icaza, Minister for Canal Affairs; Julio Moltó, Minister of Commerce and Industries; Rafael Barcenas, Director of Civil Aeronautics; Gloria de León, Administrator of the Tourism Authority; Luis Roquebert, Administrator of the Panama Maritime Authority; Salomón Shamah, Director General of Tourism Promotion of Panama (PROMTUR); Alberto Vallarino, former Minister of Economy and Finance; and Alberto Alemán Zubieta, former Administrator of the Panama Canal.

The President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, concluded his State visit to Athens, Greece, strengthening Panama’s position as one of the world’s leading maritime registries, reinforcing the confidence of users of its flag and sealing the bilateral ties between the two countries.