On February 6, the US State Department said that the Panamanian government has decided to exempt US government ships from passing through the Panama Canal.
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| The Panama Canal is a vital shipping route between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. (Source: Getty Images) |
On social network X, the US State Department clearly announced: "The Panamanian government has agreed to not charge fees to US government ships when transiting the Panama Canal", noting that this decision will help Washington save millions of dollars each year.
However, Reuters news agency quoted a statement from the Panama Canal Authority stating that they would not make any changes related to fees or rights to pass through the canal.
The above statement emphasized that, with the highest sense of responsibility, the Panama Canal Authority, as stated, is ready to establish a dialogue with US officials regarding the passage of US warships through the above area.
The Panama Canal issue heated up in late December last year, after US President Donald Trump announced that he would demand that Panama quickly return ownership of this important waterway to Washington due to high transit fees.
Panama insists that the Panama Canal is fully owned by the country under the 1977 treaty and that national sovereignty is not a subject of negotiation.
Regarding bilateral relations, the Pentagon said that in a phone call on February 5, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino agreed to expand cooperation between the US military and Panamanian security forces.
"The two sides agreed to maintain the strong relationship and many shared security interests between the United States and Panama, including the protection of the Panama Canal," a Pentagon spokesman said.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/my-noi-duoc-mien-phi-khi-tau-chinh-phu-di-qua-kenh-dao-panama-su-that-la-gi-303372.html
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