Manila, 06 February (HS): Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino has rejected the US State Department’s claim that US warships have been allowed to pass through the Panama Canal without any fee.
President Mulino clarified that the conditions for passing through the canal are decided by the Panama government and the concerned authorities, and no special exemption or new agreement has been made in this regard. He said that he had discussed the matter with US Defense Minister Pete Hegseth and clearly stated that it is not within his jurisdiction to give any exemption in the fee.
In his weekly press conference, Mulino said, “I strongly condemn this statement of the US State Department. This claim is not only misleading, but also raises questions on Panama’s sovereignty.” He has instructed Panama’s ambassador in Washington to officially lodge a protest against this claim.
The US State Department said on Wednesday on the social media platform ‘X’ that government ships can now pass through the Panama Canal without any fee, which will save the US millions of dollars annually.
However, Mulino expressed surprise at this statement and termed it “baseless and unacceptable”. He said that the Panama Canal is operated under international treaties and the laws of the country, and only the Panama government has the right to make any changes.
At present, there has been no response from the US State Department on President Mulino’s statement.
Hindusthan Samachar
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