WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US President Barack Obama and Panama’s President Juan Carlos Varela will take part in Friday’s signing ceremony of the historic agreement between US aircraft manufacturer Boeing and Panamanian Copa Airlines, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told journalists in Panama City on Friday.
“Later today, the President [Obama] will participate in the ceremony alongside executives from Copa Airlines and Boeing as well as Panamanian President Varela at a signing an agreement between Boeing and Copa about the purchase of some Boeing aircraft.”
The White House Press Secretary emphasized the importance of the US-Panama aircraft deal for the US domestic economy.
“This [deal] will support 40,000 jobs back home, because we are not just talking about manufacturing at Boeing facilities, we are talking about engines that are made by GE [General Electric], and medium size and even small businesses,” Earnest explained.
Earnest also underscored that opening overseas markets to US businesses is critical for the US economy.
“In the last five years, US exports to Panama have increased 70 percent.”
The Summit of the Americas, which is taking place on April 10-11 in Panama City, is a gathering of countries from the Western Hemisphere in which policy solutions to urgent regional challenges are addressed.
