NEGOTIATIONS with Japan  for the financing and construction of Metro Line 3 linking Panama city with Ariajan  are being fast tracked, with the Deputy Foreign Minister already in Japan to sign the agreement for the $2 billion-plus project.

President, Juan Carlos Varela, said Monday. January 11,   that Japan is funding the project  , and  will be responsible for its design and construction.

Meanwhile, Panama is committed through the Public Procurement Act, to tender the infrastructure and hire Japanese technology, as part of negotiated points between the two nations.

“The next step is to sign the financing agreement and the contract of the project manager, so that the construction of the third line of the Panama Metro formally starts, " said Varela who believes that the cooperative project is one of the most important that Japan has made in America,

Line 3,  will  use the Monorail system, and run 27 kilometers, starting from Albrook station.

The new system, will have 6 cars and 14 stations, which will meet a demand of up to about 20 000 passengers in a single direction during peak hours.