Bilateral relations

Colombia and Panama have a historical relationship which has been the context for the two countries to maintain political dialogue at the highest level, and has enabled the bilateral agenda to be extended to matters regarding frontier security, projects designed to improve the welfare of frontier communities, electricity interconnection, and trade.

Issues on the binational agenda

En materia comercial, se destaca la suscripción del Tratado de Libre Comercio el 20 de septiembre de 2013 que una vez sea ratificado por los congresos de ambos países profundizará el Acuerdo de Alcance Parcial ya vigente, suscrito en el marco de la ALADI en 1993.

Electricity interconnection between Colombia and Panama has been a fundamental step forward energy integration in the Andean region and Central America, and has allowed available resources in the region to be optimized, for the benefit of users of systems in both countries.

With regard to security matters, co-operation between the two countries has been strengthened to the highest level. In the context of the Binational Frontier Commission (COMBIFRON), Colombia and Panama have defined a binational Frontier Security Plan, designed to control security in the frontier area jointly.

Bilateral mechanisms

• Mechanism for Political Consultation at the level of Deputy Minister.
• The Binational Frontier Commission (COMBIFRON).
• The Colombia Panama Neighbourhood Commission.
• The Mixed Technical and Scientific Co-operation Commission.
• Mixed Education, Cultural and Sports Co-Operation Commission.
• Visits and Meetings

Visits and Meetings

• 20 de agosto 2015. Encuentro de Cancilleres en el marco de la Reunión de Cancilleres de FOCALAE, San Jose, Costa Rica.
• 26 junio 2015. Reunión de Cancilleres en el marco la XLV Reunión Ordinaria de Jefes de Estado y de Gobierno del Sistema de la Integración Centroamericana – SICA, celebrada en Guatemala
• 7 mayo 2015. Reunión de Cancilleres con participación del Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo y el Ministerio de Hacienda, en el marco del Foro Económico Mundial.
• 11 abril 2015. Reunión de Presidentes en el marco de la VII Cumbre de las Américas celebrada en Panamá.
• 10 de abril de 2015 Reunión entre las Cancilleres en el marco de la VII Cumbre de las Américas celebrada en Panamá.
• 9 de diciembre de 2014. El Presidente Juan Manuel Santos sostuvo reunión con su homólogo de Panamá, Juan Carlos Valera, en el marco de la XXIV Cumbre Iberoamericana, en Veracruz México.
• 17 october 2014. Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin, and her counterpart Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado held a meeting in the Bolívar Palace, Headquarters of the Panamanian Foreign Ministry.
• 25 July 2014. President Juan Manuel Santos, accompanied by Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguín, made an official visit to Panama.
• 1 July 2014. Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguín attended the inaugural of the President-Elect Juan Carlos Varela in Panama City.
• 6 June 2014. At a bilateral meeting in the context of the 44th  General Assembly of the 0AS, held in Asunción, Paraguay, Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin and Vice President of Panama, Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado met, together with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Francisco Álvarez de Soto.
• 21 January 2014. The I Meeting of the Colombia-Panama Mechanism for Political Consultation met in Bogota, the meeting was opened by Maria Angela Holguin, and chaired by the Deputy Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Colombia and Panama, Patti Londoño and Mayra Arosemena, respectively. Likewise, the meeting was attended by the Deputy Minister for Multilateral Affairs Carlos Arturo Morales.