Within the framework of the first official visit of Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi to Panama, both countries reaffirmed their willingness to deepen bilateral ties and strengthen regional cooperation, with a strategic focus on MERCOSUR and Latin American integration.
The meeting, held this Monday (07.04.2025/120/XNUMX) at the Palacio de las Garzas—seat of the Presidency of the Republic of Panama—and led by Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino Quintero, commemorated the XNUMXth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. "A gesture that President Mulino expressed his gratitude for on behalf of the Panamanian people and that consolidates the historic friendship that unites both nations," the joint statement emphasized.
One of the meeting's highlights was Panama's role as a MERCOSUR Associate State, a status consolidated in December 2024 during the Summit of Presidents held in Montevideo. Orsi's visit to Panama is "in reciprocity for the two official visits made by President Mulino to Montevideo, where Panama's entry as a MERCOSUR Associate State was consolidated," the official text states.
On economic matters, both leaders expressed clear interest in expanding trade and investment opportunities. "The Presidents expressed their interest in boosting investment and bilateral trade," emphasizing the value of Panama's logistics platform "to enhance access to other markets."
In this regard, they pledged to "deepen bilateral trade relations within the framework of Economic Complementation Agreement No. 76," also signed during the MERCOSUR summit at the end of 2024.
Furthermore, the leaders agreed on the need to strengthen multilateralism and cooperation on key issues such as education, technological innovation, and sustainability. Uruguay offered to share its experience with the CEIBAL project, an educational innovation center using digital technologies, which sparked great interest from the Panamanian government.
At a regional level, both presidents expressed their willingness to maintain "a fluid political dialogue, with a view to exploring new avenues for cooperation."
Orsi's official visit marks a turning point in relations between Uruguay and Panama, not only because of its symbolism—it is the first in 16 years—but also because of the renewed impetus for an agenda that promotes greater political and economic coordination in Latin America.
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