UN General Assembly
2017

I have always borne in mind Panama’s role as a facilitator of dialogue and understanding. Ours is a country of unity at the service of the international community. We stand ready to cooperate as a strategic ally and to contribute our resources in the interest of addressing the common problems afflicting the region and the world at large. At the Summit of the Americas, which took place in Panama, there was a historic rapprochement between two countries that had held divergent positions for more than half a century — Cuba and the United States. They began a frank conversation about putting an end to their estrangement. As we near the next Summit of the Americas, in Lima, we must approach it with a constructive spirit and an openness to dialogue to analyse the problems of the region and uphold peace and unity across the Americas.