India-Panama connection recalled as Naidu visits Panama Canal

The contribution of Indians in the construction of the strategic Panama Canal has been recalled as Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu visited the famous waterway through which five per cent of the global trade transits.

Breaking protocol, President of Panama Juan Carlos Varela Rodriguez accompanied Naidu to the canal yesterday.

This was an unscheduled engagement of the Panamanian President that surprised the diplomats of both the countries, an official statement said.

Vice President of Panama Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado also accompanied Naidu.

Rodriguez spent almost six hours with Naidu starting with a one-to-one meeting followed by delegation level talks, the banquet and visit to the Panama Canal.

At the Panama Canal, a detailed audio-visual presentation was made to Naidu explaining the origins of the path breaking canal project, its advantages and the volume of trade being transited through the canal and the passage of vessels with a system of locks.

Construction of the canal started in 1904 and the first ship sailed through it in 1914.

The US handed over the Canal to Panama on December 31, 1999. About five per cent of the world trade transits through this canal.

IndiaPanama canal connection was fondly recalled during the visit of Naidu to the canal, the statement said.

He was informed of the participation of Indians in the construction work during 1904-14 and the captain of the first vessel that sailed through the expanded canal being an Indian.

A Gujarat-based company has won the bid for preparing tender document for construction of a new bridge on the canal, the statement said.

President of Panama told Naidu that the new bridge would be a show-case project and he was happy with the Indian connection with the project.