Keywords: US Navy 050805-N-0962S-051 Panamanian Minister of Government and Justice Hector Aleman welcomes joint forces personnel during the opening ceremony for PANAMAX 2005 at Hotel El Panama.jpg en Panama City Panama Aug 5 2005 - Panamanian Minister of Government and Justice Hector Aleman welcomes joint forces personnel during the opening ceremony for PANAMAX 2005 at Hotel El Panama PANAMAX is a training exercise in defense of the Panama Canal involving 15 countries The Panama Canal is critical to the free flow of trade and goods in the Western Hemisphere and the entire world The region's economy and stability largely depend on the safe transport of several hundred million tons of cargo that transit through the canal every year U S Navy photo by Journalist 1st Class Brandan W Schulze RELEASED 2005-08-05 050805-N-0962S-051 Navy http //www navy mil/view_image asp id 27014 U S Navy photo by Journalist 1st Class Brandan W Schulze PD-USGov-Military-Navy PANAMAX 2005 Politicians of Panama |