711F.1914/5–3147: Telegram
The Ambassador in Panama (Hines) to the Secretary of State
299. Minister of Public Works, Octavio Vallarino, has made available to Embassy a copy of a press release to be made by President Jimenez on Sunday June 1, when the new airport is inaugurated. This release will take the form of an answer to a reporter’s question and is the Panamanian definition of joint authority as promised by Vallarino May 22 (see Embtel 282, May 2335).
Embassy will forward release in clear after it has been made. Briefly, it states that Panama is waiting for the US to take the next move in defense site matter. Release then pointed out that as Panama is not a military power, it has been decided that the US will assume exclusively all technical, military and economic maintenance of defense sites, but that this comes about as an emanation from the joint authority of the two nations over defense sites and not as an exercise of unilateral power by the US. Release states that it is planned that the defense sites will not be a concession to the US but an example of cooperation between the two governments.
- Not printed.↩