PANAMA NEWS:

 

 

 

“SIECA + 1”

March/05/2010

 

The panamanian proposal, was accepted by the 27 states of the European Union (EU) and the 5 countries of Central America.

 

Now Panama will participate in the negotiations to settle a commercial liaison between Europe and Central America.
 

Panamanian exporters and authorities were concerned of being left out of the treaty, but EU changed their decision and now Panama is allowed to negotiate with the same rights as Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua. These countries belong to the Central America Department of Economic Integration, SIECA (Spanish acronym).

 

According to Maximo Gallardo from the Panamanian Association of Exporters “It was very relieving that EU accepted us without being a member of SIECA, since Panama is very different from the rest of the countries of this region, fact that made it very difficult for us to join the negotiations all of a sudden”

 

Panama will have to accept the offer resulting from negotiations, no exceptions. “The country agrees with what has been negotiated so far. If we thought it is against the country's interests, we wouldn't accept”, said Francisco Alvarez de Soto, vice-minister of the Foreign Commercial Negotiations Ministry.

 

The national negotiation team has participated as an observer since October 2007, when the first round of negotiations took place. Now Panama has a saying on what is agreed between UE and Central America. However, the negotiations are coming to an end, since they are expecting to sign the treaty during the next EU-Latinamerican summit, on May 18^th.
 

Curious fact: Panama exports 85% of its production of melon, watermelon and pineapple to Europe, one of the main reason it was important to participate in this treaty.

 

Source: www.prensa.com