en.Wedoany.com Reported - Panama's Ambassador to Argentina, Juan Luis Correa Esquivel, recently paid an official visit to Catamarca Province to strengthen cooperation in mining, logistics, and trade. During meetings with provincial and municipal officials, copper mining development, export infrastructure, and economic integration became key topics of discussion, as Catamarca's mining sector grows increasingly prominent.
As part of the official agenda, Governor Raúl Jalil received the diplomat at the Government House, while Vice Governor Rubén Dusso and Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Paola Fedeli participated in various institutional activities across the province. During the meeting, Dusso emphasized the common ground between Catamarca and Panama in copper mining and international logistics, stating: "Both Catamarca and Panama are copper producers, and the province is seeking export routes to the Pacific Ocean, which the Central American country already possesses."
The Vice Governor also noted that exchanging experiences and strengthening international ties would "bring greater development and better employment opportunities for the people of Catamarca," highlighting the importance of leveraging Panama's logistics expertise to support the province's production growth.
A key aspect of the visit was Panama's logistics infrastructure and its potential to facilitate Catamarca's exports. Ambassador Correa Esquivel views "mining as Argentina's future" and emphasized the need to promote its development responsibly, with particular attention to environmental management. He offered Catamarca Panama's multimodal logistics hub—including the Panama Canal, the transoceanic railway, and a global port network—describing it as "a key tool to ensure efficient delivery of Catamarca's export products to target markets." Given that Catamarca is seeking to integrate transport corridors to improve access to international markets for its exports, the integration of mining production and logistics infrastructure became a central theme of the meetings.
The institutional agenda also included a meeting between the Panamanian ambassador and Gustavo Saadi, Mayor of San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, who declared him an honorary visitor to the city. Correa Esquivel highlighted economic exchange opportunities between the two jurisdictions and praised the strengthening of air connectivity. He stated: "We have much to exchange. Now COPA Airlines already operates three weekly flights here, which will promote more interaction between our communities and cities." In this context, the diplomat proposed organizing future institutional and trade delegations between Panama and Catamarca, telling the mayor: "I told the mayor that we must organize a visit for him to Panama, as he hasn't been yet... We will take this opportunity to organize a trip so that we can reciprocate the same warmth with which you have received us here."
The visit also included tours of various cultural and tourist attractions in the province and concluded with a commitment to continue strengthening bilateral relations in areas such as trade, logistics, and production development, with mining being one of the main sectors of common interest for both Catamarca and Panama.
