Panama eyes PPPs with Qatar to expand economic ties, says envoy

(From left) Panamanian ambassador Musa Asvat; Aileem Mejia Jovane, third secretary at Panama Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Mahmoud Zayed, protocol officer at the Embassy of Panama in Qatar, at the Panama booth located inside AgriteQ 2021 venue.

Panama is looking to expand its trade and economic ties with Qatar through public-private partnership (PPP) projects in the field of agriculture, such as building hydroponic farms and cattle raising, ambassador Musa Asvat has said. Despite Panama’s geography and distance from Qatar, the country is “well- structured” and has the capacity to export high-quality products from various sectors, such as the agriculture industry, said Asvat, who stressed that there is a “potential business opportunity” for Panamanian exporters to expand their footprint in Qatar. According to Asvat, one of the plans of Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo is to open lands for concession and establish agro-farms in the Central American country. This would allow international companies to grow different types of produce and other foods, he emphasised. “We can offer this opportunity for Qatar to establish food supply chains in Panama; our country is open to provide concessions to companies from Qatar that are interested in investing in the farming industry. We have excellent weather conditions and fertile lands for different types of crops, as well as for cattle growing.