The Panama Canal Authority says it is ready to hold talks with Washington DC in connection with the US warfare ships.
The Panama Canal Authority has denied the US State Department’s claim that a deal allows the United States government to cross the canal without any fees, possibly President Donald Trump again on the water channel. After threatening to control the tension. The Pacific and the Atlantic.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Canal Authority, which oversees the Panamian government to a sovereign agency, said it had not changed the fees or rights to cross the canal directly, the statement of the United States. Was in response to claims.
“The Panama Canal Authority, which gives the option to fix the tool and other fees to transfer the canal, reported that it had not made any adjustments in them.”
But it says he is still ready to discuss with US officials about “transporting ships to the country during the war”.
The Panama has become a central point for the Trump administration as the president has accused the Central American country of accusing him of excessive prices to use its trade passage, which is the busiest in the world.
Earlier on Wednesday, the US State Department said that the Panama government had now agreed to receive crossing fees for US government ships, which would save millions of people.
“US government ships can now transfer Panama Canal to Panama Canal without any compensation fees, which can save millions of dollars in a year,” the State Department said in a post on social media platform X.
This was the first public announcement of the promise of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said the privileges were offered during his visit to Panama on Sunday.
Since winning the US election in November, Trump has refused to reject the use of force to seize the canal, through which 40 % of US containers pass through traffic.
In his opening speech in January, Trump said that the United States would “withdraw the canal” – which was constructed by France in 1881 but was completed by the United States in 1914. Washington handed over the canal to Panama in 1999 under agreements in 1977.
Trump has repeatedly said that if no agreement is reached, the canal will be returned to the United States “completely, and without question.”
At the same time, he also accused Panama of controlling China’s canal, which refuses Panama and China.
During his visit to Panama, Rubio spoke to Panaminia President Jose Raul Milno, who later promised to get out of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Milano has also ordered audit of the Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of the Hutisen Holdings, a Jamaat -e -Hong Kong -based party, which operates two major ports around the canal.
Despite the growing concern in Washington, the company received a discount in 1997, which was extended to 25 years in 2021 as China has tightened political control over Hong Kong.
However, Milano rejected Trump’s threat to control the US canal.
