CE, Panamanian President Meet

Chief Executive Carrie Lam met President of Panama Juan Carlos Varela Rodriguez at Government House today.

Mrs Lam welcomed Mr Varela Rodriguez's visit to Hong Kong to open the Consulate General of Panama in the city.

“I am sure the establishment of Panama's Consulate General in Hong Kong will help to add impetus to the relationship between Hong Kong and Panama,” Mrs Lam said.

“Although at the moment, the trade volume is not huge, but the growth potential is huge. In 2018, we have seen a 29% growth in merchandise trade between Hong Kong and Panama. And Panama is one of the fastest-growing countries in Latin America,” she added.

Mrs Lam said Hong Kong can play a key role in the growing trade flows and bilateral ties between China and Panama.

She encouraged Panamanian enterprises to leverage Hong Kong's status as an international financial, maritime and trading centre to explore markets in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Mainland and elsewhere in Asia.