Panama City:

Panama President Jose Raul Milno on Thursday rejected talks with the United States about the ownership of the Panama Canal as he is preparing to host Donald Trump’s Foreign Secretary Marco Rubio.

Trump, in his opening address on January 20, alleged that China was effectively “operating” the waterfall that the United States handed over to the Central American nation in 1999.

“We didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we are taking it back,” Trump said.

But Milano said talks on the canal ownership are “impossible.”

“I cannot negotiate, the process of negotiating on the canal is rarely open,” he said in his weekly press conference.

Panama, a friend of the United States, has complained to the United Nations over Trump’s threat.

However, Milano said that there are common issues like migratory and organized crime and war against drug trafficking, that in the coming days they will be happy when they talk to Rubio.

The President gave the date of the meeting, “We are not willing to speak with respect and very clearly … the Secretary of Foreign Affairs.”

Rubio’s first trip abroad will be taken to Trump’s top envoy to Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Dominican Republic.

The visit comes between Latin America and Washington in the midst of high tensions on large -scale exile plans, most of which come from the region.

Despite the tensions, Milano emphasized that Panama has “privileged relations” with the United States, “not China.”

“The relationship with the United States is strong, it has always been, fluctuations, love and hatred, but has always been a strong relationship that has led to … allow us to overcome the most complex conditions, “He said.

Built by the United States and opened in 1914, the canal was managed by the United States until 1977, when agreements were signed under the then US President Jimmy Carter to hand over Panama.

Since 1999, the canal has been administered by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) – an independent organization appointed by the Board of Directors and the President of Panama.

The eye of the storm is a private Panama Ports Company-CK’s Hutison Holdings-a subsidiary of the Hong Kong-based party, who was given privileges to operate ports at any end of the 82 km (51 miles) waterway.

PPC makes no decision on shipping routes.

Rejecting any advice on interference in the canal administration, Milano insisted, “ports” are not under the rule of any nation’s governments or military forces. “

(This story has not been edited by the NDTV staff and has been made auto from the Syndicate Fed.)

(Tagstototranstel) Panama Canal (T) Panama Canal Trump



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