For the first time, in an emotion-charged ceremony, in which tears of happiness of a big crowd of Panamanians of all the social strata who gathered before the Panama Canal administration building were shed, the Panamanian flag was hoisted.

More than 30,000 helium-inflated toy balloons with the colors of the Panamanian flag crossed the sky and the booming of 21 canon salvos that announced the full independence of Panama were heard, a few hours short of the start of the new millennium, in the moments in which the Panamanian flag flapped in the wind.

Panama recovered full sovereignty over the Canal Zone in compliance with the Torrijos-Carter Treaties signed in 1977 by the Panama and United States governments.

US Ambassador Simon Ferro delivered on behalf of the his government, the official document that represents the reversion of the interoceanic canal and of the other canal assets, to Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso.

Moscoso said in her speech delivered during the historical ceremony the work of General Omar Torrijos, who negotiated with former US president Jimmy Carter the signing of the canal treaties.

Moscoso demanded the United States to start in the new millennium a new kind of relations based in mutual and decided cooperation and reciprocal respect.

"The benefit and the usufruct the Panama canal has given to the United States geopolitics and economy make mandatory for this nation to practice the sentiment of brotherhood that its leaders have touted for decades," said Moscoso.

The Panamanian president said that the United States must start in this new period an era of trade relations with Panama that will permit this nation to begin a process of economic growth.

Moscoso also said that in this historical day, with the full recovery of their sovereignty over their national territory, Panamanians reach adulthood as a nation.

The Panamanian president said that from now on there will not be more fences nor warning posters forbidding Panamanians to enter the canal zone, where the United States established for 85 years an exclusive zone with US laws, judges, and policemen.

"This territory has become ours again. The shout of total sovereignty that so many generations have claimed is now a reality and the canal is ours," she said.

In his turn, US Army Secretary Louis Caldera said on behalf of the Armed Forces and the government of President Bill Clinton that from now on the two nations will advance in the new millennium as partners.

"Let us never forget that progress requires hard work, nor the challenges President Kennedy asked us to face building new opportunities that this Canal has permitted," said Caldera. (Xinhua)