Spain and Panama have formalised the renewal of their bilateral cooperation through the signing of the new Partnership for Sustainable Development at the 8th meeting of the Spanish-Panamanian Joint Cooperation Commission. This Alliance, formalised on behalf of Spain by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, marks the beginning of a new stage in relations between the two countries, based on a model of advanced, horizontal cooperation aimed at building joint responses to structural challenges and strengthening Panama's role as a benchmark for public innovation and sustainable development in the region
The State Secretary for International Cooperation, Eva Granados, signed on behalf of Spain, while the Panamanian Deputy Minister for Multilateral Affairs and Cooperation, Carlos Guevara Mann, signed on behalf of his country's Government.
The Alliance focuses Spanish-Panamanian cooperation efforts on four strategic challenges linked to social, ecological and economic transitions: the exchange of knowledge and promotion of scientific, technological and digital capabilities for sustainable development; transformative democratic governance with a focus on gender, care and participation; inclusive, innovative and resilient economic and territorial development models; and a just ecological transition.
Commitment to multilateralism
During her trip to Panama, the State Secretary met with the regional representatives for Latin America and the Caribbean of the main United Nations agencies, reaffirming Spain's commitment to multilateralism.
Granados visited Spanish Cooperation projects in the community of Nuevo Vigía, in the province of Darién, on the border with Colombia, one of the areas most affected by migration in recent years.
Granados had the opportunity to see first-hand initiatives aimed at improving local communities' access to basic services, such as training traditional midwives in perinatal technologies provided by staff from the Panamanian Ministry of Health.
AECID in Panama
As of January 2026, the total amount of projects and programmes being implemented by the AECID in Panama amounted to €85 million. Spanish official development assistance (ODA) to this country has increased steadily in recent years, from a total of €0.57 million in 2020 to €5.9 million in 2024 (the last year for which official data is available).
In addition to non-reimbursable cooperation projects in various development sectors, these figures include a portfolio of reimbursable cooperation projects supporting renewable energy, water and sanitation, as well as initiatives linked to the humanitarian hub of the Americas, as the region's only platform for the management and distribution of emergency supplies, and cultural cooperation initiatives.
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