Singapore To Join Panama Canal Neutrality Protocol

By Anas Abu Hassan

SINGAPORE, Oct 5 (Bernama) -- Singapore will accede to the Protocol to the Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal, reaffirming its commitment to maritime safety, security and freedom of navigation, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam said.

He said the accession signalled Singapore’s support for freedom of navigation through one of the world’s most important maritime arteries.

“Amidst trade disruptions and an unpredictable global landscape, small states must work together to strengthen the institutions that uphold international law.

“It goes without saying that Singapore and Panama share a deep interest in upholding freedom of navigation and international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,” he said on Monday.

Tharman was speaking at a state banquet in honour of Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino Quintero, who was on a three-day state visit from Oct 3 to 5. The speech text was published on the President’s Office website.

He said Singapore and Panama sit at strategic crossroads of global trade, linking Asia and the Americas, with Singapore offering Panamanian companies a gateway to Southeast Asian markets.

“They will surely find opportunity in ASEAN’s markets which, collectively, will likely become the fourth-largest economy in the world this year,” he said.

Meanwhile, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said he and Mulino discussed expanding bilateral cooperation in trade and logistics.

“Panama was the first country in Latin America which Singapore signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with.

“There is much more we can do together, especially in logistics, given our roles as major air and maritime hubs,” he said in a Facebook post.

The leaders agreed to begin negotiations on a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty and witnessed the exchange of a memorandum of understanding between SATS Ltd and Tocumen International Airport to strengthen cooperation in connectivity and air cargo logistics.

-- BERNAMA