Control of the Panama Canal will remain in the hands of the Central American country despite US leader Donald Trump's stated ambitions to take it back, Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino said.
"On behalf of the Republic of Panama and its people, I must completely reject the words that President Donald Trump said in his inaugural address about Panama and its canal. I repeat: the Canal belongs and will belong to Panama, and its administration will continue to be under Panamanian control in accordance with permanent neutrality," said in a statement released on your X profile.
"There is no country in the world that interferes in the management of the canal," said the Panamanian President.
He said the canal was "not a concession to anyone".
"It was the result of a multi-generational struggle that culminated in the Torrijos-Carter treaties in 1999, and from then until now, for 25 years, we have continuously managed and expanded it, responsibly serving the world and global trade, including the United States," he said.
Mulino said he intends to defend the right to the canal in accordance with international law. He insisted that dialogues are the best way to resolve contentious issues without compromising "the sovereignty of Panama and its full right to the canal".
Trump reiterated his intention to "take back" the canal during his inauguration speech on Monday. He claimed that handing control of the shipping line to Panama was a "foolish gift that should never have been made." The US President also claimed that the canal was operated by China.
Commissioned in 1914, the Panama Canal was built and controlled by the United States for decades afterwards. In 1977, the Torrijos-Carter Treaties provided for the gradual transfer of the canal to Panama, which was completed in 1999. The agreement established the neutrality of the canal and its usability for world trade. Today, the Canal remains a key shipping route for the world economy.
TASS/ gnews -RoZ
PHOTO - pixabay
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