Mulino concludes Greece tour with ship registrations, cooperation deals

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino has concluded a state visit to Greece, achieving significant results aimed at bolstering Panama's prominent maritime sector. A major outcome of the tour is the commitment from Tsakos Shipping Trading, a leading Greek shipping group, to register four Panamax-class tankers currently under construction under the Panamanian flag. This move is expected to create new employment opportunities for Panamanian seafarers.

During his stay in Athens, President Mulino held meetings with Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Both leaders emphasized the importance of maintaining competitive trade and enhancing bilateral cooperation. The visit saw the signing of two memorandums of understanding: one to promote tourism cooperation through information exchange on promotion, investment, innovation, digitalization, and professional training; the other to establish a political consultation mechanism to strengthen diplomatic relations and expand collaboration.

President Mulino also participated in Posidonia 2026, one of the world's largest maritime fairs, held in Athens. The event attracted over 2,000 exhibitors from 138 countries. Here, Mulino met with Greek shipowners, who are among the primary users of the Panamanian ship registry, representing approximately 500 vessels and contributing to over 20% of global maritime cargo transport.

Addressing attendees at Posidonia 2026, Mulino assured that Panama would continue to protect and strengthen its relationship with Greece, home to the world's largest merchant fleet. He instructed Panamanian diplomatic and maritime authorities to pursue high-level actions in defense of the sector. The visit also included a significant honor, with President Sakellaropoulou awarding Mulino the Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer, Greece's highest state honor.