General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm and his wife and Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino and his spouse pose for a group photo. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino and his spouse left Hà Nội on October 8 noon, concluding their four-day official visit to Việt Nam at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm and his wife.

During their stay in Việt Nam, President Mulino, his wife and a high-ranking delegation of Panama paid tribute to President Hồ Chí Minh at his mausoleum and laid flowers at the Monument to Heroic Martyrs on Bắc Son Street, Hà Nội.

General Secretary and President Lâm chaired a welcome ceremony, held talks and hosted a banquet for President Mulino. The two leaders had a meeting with the press and witnessed the exchange of cooperation documents.

Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng and National Assembly President Trần Thanh Mẫn held meetings with President Mulino.

At the meetings, the Vietnamese leaders highlighted the significance of the first head-of-state visit between the two countries in 14 years, following the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties in 2025.

They stressed that Việt Nam attaches great importance to its traditional friendship with Panama, as well as Panama’s strategic role and position in the region and the world. With its dynamic economy and the Panama Canal, a major regional hub for maritime, aviation, logistics and financial connectivity, Panama can work with Việt Nam to serve as a trade and logistics gateway between Southeast Asia and Latin America.

The Panamanian President thanked Việt Nam for being the first country to sign the Protocol to the Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal in 1979, and congratulated the Vietnamese State and people on the significant achievements made over more than four decades of Đổi mới (Renewal). He affirmed that Panama regards Việt Nam as a top priority partner in the Asia-Pacific region and stands ready to serve as a gateway connecting Việt Nam with Latin American economies.

The two sides expressed their delight at the positive developments in bilateral relations in recent years, noting that there remains significant room for greater cooperation and complementarity, particularly in trade, investment and economic ties. They also held extensive discussions on strategic directions to further deepen and strengthen bilateral relations in a more substantive and practical manner.

The two sides issued a Joint Statement on the occasion of the official visit to Việt Nam by Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino.

As part of his visit, President Mulino and his wife visited the Văn Miếu – Quốc Tử Giám (Temple of Literature complex), an iconic symbol of Việt Nam’s tradition of learning. The President also attended and delivered a speech at the Vietnam–Panama Business Forum, jointly organised by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Embassy of Panama in Việt Nam.

Madame Ngô Phương Ly, spouse of General Secretary and President Tô Lâm, and Madame Maricel Cohen de Mulino, spouse of Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino took part in a cultural event featuring Việt Nam’s ethnic minority groups at Văn Lake, part of the special national relic complex of the Temple of Literature complex. VNA/VNS