President of the Republic of Panama José Raúl Mulino welcomed a delegation from the Japanese Shipowners’ Association (JSA) at the Presidential Palace on Monday, where both sides expressed their interest in strengthening cooperation on maritime affairs. The sector plays a strategic role in the economies of both countries and remains a key pillar of bilateral relations.
The meeting took place one week after President Mulino hosted representatives of Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), the country’s leading private-sector organization.
It also marked the second meeting between President Mulino and the leadership of the Japanese Shipowners’ Association. During the President’s official visit to Tokyo in September 2025, they discussed the modernization of Panama’s ship registry.
The Japanese delegation was led by Hitoshi Nagasawa, President of the Japanese Shipowners’ Association, accompanied by Yasuhiro Shinohara, Kumiko Iwasa, Keiichi Tada, and Daijiro Mizushima.
Joining President Mulino were Foreign Affairs Minister Javier Martínez Acha, Minister for Canal Affairs José Ramón Icaza, Panama’s Ambassador to Japan Walter Cohen, Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) Administrator Luis Roquebert, and Director General of Merchant Marine Ramón Franco.
Cooperation to strengthen Panama’s maritime sector
President Mulino emphasized Panama’s interest in expanding cooperation with major Japanese shipping companies, particularly in technical collaboration and partnerships with the Maritime University of Panama (UMIP). The objective is to increase employment opportunities for Panamanian seafarers aboard Japanese vessels.
The President also outlined the portfolio of major infrastructure projects that the Panama Canal plans to tender starting next year. These include the construction of new ports, a gas pipeline, and the Río Indio multipurpose reservoir, which is designed to secure water supplies for both human consumption and Canal operations.
Japan highlights Panama’s strategic importance
For his part, Hitoshi Nagasawa highlighted Panama’s strategic importance to Japan’s economic security. In 2025, a total of 1,072 Japanese vessels transited the Panama Canal, many of them carrying liquefied gas cargoes.
Nagasawa noted that both the gas pipeline project and the Río Indio reservoir are considered vital by Japan’s shipping industry to ensure the Canal’s long-term operational efficiency.
He also praised President Mulino’s leadership in advancing the modernization of Panama’s logistics, maritime, and services platform, expressing the Japanese shipping industry’s willingness to expand cooperation with Panamanian authorities to address shared challenges facing the global maritime sector.
