&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Panama FM Vásquez backs India for permanent UN Security Council seat; seeks IIT campus, Indian investments")
New Delhi: Panama has thrown its weight behind India’s bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, describing New Delhi as a vital voice for the Global South and a key partner in upholding international law and democratic values.
In an exclusive interview with WION’s Sidhant Sibal during his visit to Delhi, Panama’s Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha Vásquez emphasised the need for UN reforms to reflect 21st-century realities.
“Today, the global architecture does not reflect the reality of the 21st century,” he said. “We consider that Latin America should have a permanent seat...and India [being an] important actor.”
The remarks come as bilateral relations gain momentum. Minister Vásquez met India’s External Affairs Minister this week, with both sides eyeing a strategic partnership that extends beyond diplomacy into economics, technology and connectivity.
Panama is positioning itself as India’s gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, leveraging the Panama Canal’s strategic importance. The foreign minister invited Indian businesses to establish operations in Panama, citing its logistics hub status, efficient ports and stable, rules-based economy.
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“Panama is not the end of the journey of India to Latin America. It is the beginning,” he stated. “We can provide to India... logistic connectivity, the stability, the rule of law... for establishing multinationals.”
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Panama operates one of the world’s busiest canals and plans two additional ports, one on the Atlantic and one on the Pacific. It offers Indian firms access to a market of 700 million people and a trusted ecosystem for transit and trade. The minister highlighted ongoing efforts to open a visa facility in Mumbai to ease business travel.
On the technology front, Panama is exploring collaboration with the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). “We visited the IIT. We are trying to reach an agreement... for the establishment of the IIT Panama,” he revealed. This forms part of broader ambitions in innovation, e-governance and long-term prosperity.
The minister described both nations as natural partners sharing democratic principles. He urged India to join the Panama Canal Neutrality Treaty, which guarantees open access to vessels of all nations in peace and war. “By having the largest democracy [and] an important emerging superpower part of the treaty... it is very important,” he said, noting India’s Global South leadership would strengthen the canal’s impartial status.
Panama hosts one of the largest Indian diasporas in the region, active in finance, commerce, electronics and shipping. The minister praised their contributions, “They are important to us... the best [form of] advertising.”
The visit signals Panama’s ambition to elevate ties with India, transforming a solid diplomatic relationship into a vibrant economic and strategic partnership.
