Chile and Panama Seek to Strengthen Cooperation with Bilateral Commission

2026-03-12 - 19:27

The governments of Chile and Panama will form a bilateral commission to address an agenda of common interest, the Presidency of the Republic announced Wednesday March 11. This decision arose in a meeting between the Panamanian president, José Raúl Mulino above left, and the Chilean president, José Antonio Kast above right, who took office this Wednesday in the city of Valparaíso. It was announced that the topics of interest include trade, security, transportation, and the agricultural sector, among others. It is worth remembering the historical ties and strategic role of Chile as the first Latin American user and the fourth worldwide of the Panama Canal. Although the mining issue was not mentioned in the official communication from the Presidency, it is important to highlight that on January 15, 2026, Mulino stated that the Chilean experience in this matter would be taken into account. In that weekly conference, Mulino stated that the process to decide the future of the mine is progressing with expert advice and that Chile would send three specialists from the National Copper Corporation (Codelco) after his visit on March 11. The bilateral meeting on Wednesday was also attended by Ministers Felipe Chapman (Economy and Finance), Julio Moltó (Commerce and Industries) and José Ramón Icaza (Canal Affairs). It was reported that they also held meetings with presidents of trade associations and business leaders from the Chilean private sector, including the Infrastructure Policy Council, a group of shipping companies and the Confederation of Production and Commerce. The Panamanian delegation also included First Lady Maricel Cohen de Mulino and Foreign Minister Javier Martínez Acha. Kast’s inauguration took place in the Hall of Honor of the National Congress in Valparaíso, with 1,200 guests in attendance.