India and Panama are discussing enhancement of maritime connectivity and investments in ports. This comes in the backdrop of West Asia tensions and as India aims to diversify its energy supplies and trade routes. The discussions were held during Panama foreign minister Javier Martinez-Acha Vasquez’s New Delhi visit this week. Vasquez held wide ranging discussions with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. He also interacted with Union Minister of Ports and Shipping Sarbananda Sonowal and Director General of Maritime Administration Shyam Jagannathan. The two sides discussed the possibility of developing new shipping services that would help India connect markets in North America and Latin America. The Panamanian delegation informed that a gas pipeline is being proposed parallel to the canal – which presently is the preferred lane for LNG carriers from US to East Asia.