At the invitation of Panamanian President Martin Torrijos Espino, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would travel to Panama on December 9 and 10, US State Department announced on Monday.
According to a statement from the department, Rice would meet with President Torrijos to discuss bilateral issues, including trade and education, and also participate in the first Pathways to Prosperity Ministerial meeting.
US President George W. Bush and leaders of eleven Western Hemisphere countries launched the Pathways initiative on September 24, 2008 to ensure that the benefits of trade more broadly reach all of their citizens, said the statement.
The Pathways countries are Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru and the United States.