United States Department of State
Office of the Speaker
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken
Thomas Jefferson room
Washington, D.C
Testify
December 21, 2022
(fragments)
SECRETARY FLASHING: Good morning to all. It is a real pleasure to have Secretary Tewaney here in Washington. Panama is a very important partner of the United States. We’ve worked together a lot over the past few years and we’ve really focused on advancing the common goals we have for our peoples and for the region more generally. We have worked together to improve regional security, strengthen democratic institutions, and promote inclusive economic growth. And I have great expectations of speaking to the minister about all these issues.
Incidentally, Panama is also an important partner for us and many other countries in the region when it comes to combating irregular migration. We face a true historic challenge together: the world has more people on the move – more than 100 million people – than at any other period in recorded history. By the way, in the common hemisphere we also know and see this, be it from Mexico, Haiti, Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Venezuela and more…Ecuador. There are many people in transit and there is a growing sense of responsibility from all of us to make migration humane and orderly in our hemisphere. I look forward to talking about that too.
I welcome you. It is very nice to have your presence.
(…)
The original text can be found at: https://www.state.gov/secretary-antony-j-blinken-and-panamanian-foreign-minister-janaina-tewaney-before-their-meeting/
This translation is provided as a courtesy and only the original English source should be relied upon.