This week, Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will hold their first bilateral meeting in Panama within the framework of the Latin America and Caribbean International Economic Forum. This was confirmed on Monday by authorities from both countries during a working visit by Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira to La Paz. The Latin American Development Bank CAF will hold the second edition of the Latin America and Caribbean International Economic Forum, which will take place on Wednesday and Thursday in Panama, focused on the theme of positioning the region on the global stage. The announcement was made after a private meeting between Vieira and Bolivian Foreign Minister Fernando Aramayo, in which they reviewed the bilateral agenda and agreed to establish a mechanism for periodic ministerial meetings to discuss various matters of common interest. In a brief contact with local media, the heads of diplomacy from Brazil and Bolivia agreed to point out that the meeting between Paz and Lula will mark the beginning of a new cycle in the political relationship between the two countries, within the context of a shared regional agenda. "We are planning to meet four times a year to carry out a solid, effective, and productive agenda, and we discussed the meeting that will take place between our presidents the day after tomorrow in Panama," indicated Vieira. Vieira also informed that Lula has already invited Paz to visit Brazil in the coming months. The Brazilian foreign minister is on a tour this week through Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador and will accompany President Lula on an official visit to Panama, according to official Brazilian sources. The meeting will serve to follow up on the agreements reached last August during the visit of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa to Brasilia. The Brazilian foreign minister's tour comes at a delicate moment for the Latin American integration project promoted by Lula since his return to power on January 1, 2023. At this meeting, they will analyze the current state of the bilateral relationship, with an emphasis on trade, infrastructure, and combating organized crime. The last stop on the tour will be Quito, where on Friday Vieira will meet with Ecuador's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility, Gabriela Sommerfeld.
