President Isaac Herzog began his official visit to Central America in Panama today (Wednesday). Upon arrival, the President was welcomed by Panama’s Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha Vásquez. President Herzog then toured the Panama Canal, accompanied by Foreign Minister Martínez-Acha Vásquez. President Herzog received a comprehensive briefing on the canal, its strategic importance, and the potential for cooperation in the fields of trade, infrastructure, and innovation between the two countries.
President Herzog stated:“It's a great honor and pleasure to be here as the guest of President Mulino here in Panama. This is the first state visit of an Israeli President in Panama, a historic visit, thereby connecting and upgrading the relations between our nations in so many fields. From water treatment to technology, from science to agriculture, we have so much to share together.
“It is a great honor to be here at the Panama Canal, which connects two great oceans, the Pacific and the Atlantic. This is a beautiful example of how to lead and enable freedom of navigation and maritime freedom, as opposed to what we see in the Straits of Bab al-Mandab in the Red Sea, or in the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf. This is the antithesis. This is the other example. And we must all stand up firmly against any blockage of maritime capability and movement around the world."
Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha Vásquez stated: “It’s a pleasure for me to welcome the President of Israel. It is a very historic and symbolic visit. Here in the heart of the continent, we want to show the President of Israel the true friendship that Israel and Panama enjoy. We are looking forward, with our President, to promote the links and the cooperation with Israel. We share a lot of values and principles. We also want to develop commerce and innovation along with Israel.“