Above: Panama President Juan Carlos Varela and Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos (Photo: OP Panama)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos and Panama President Juan Carlos Varela met this week for high-level talks in Panama City.

The two sides agreed to relaunch a proposed Electrical Interconnection Project between the two countries, with they said would “contribute to improving utilities for both nations and regional energy integration.”

The meeting at Panama’s Palacio de las Garcas also covered issues including tourism, trade, investment, security cooperation and other knowledge transfers.

On the tourism front, the two leaders agreed on the importance of strengthening air connectivity between Colombia and Panama, along with the joint promotion of tourism and new tourist destinations in both countries, according to a statement from Varela’s office.

Varela and Santos also noted the need to “maintain the channels of cooperation” on the regularization of migrants, both with respect to improving the welfare of migrants and combating the problems of trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling.

Varela succeeded former President Ricardo Martinelli on July 1.