TT to expand relations with Costa Rica

He made the comments at a function held at the National Library and Information System (NALIS) headquarters in Port of Spain to launch celebrations of the 195th anniversary of Costa Rica’s independence.

He assured the Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of Costa Rica in Trinidad and Tobago, Carmen Gil that this country “will continue to pursue the partnership with Costa Rica for the prosperity and development of both nations.” The Costa Rican Charge d’Affaires listed the contacts between Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago.

She said the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1972, and over the last 20 years, their relations have developed “in a more meaningful way” with official visits by former prime minister Basdeo Panday in 1999 during which he signed a Joint Declaration highlighting the interest in developing economic, commercial and financial exchanges, and defining cooperative actions in the fields of science and technology, agricultural development, education and culture.

Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Sanchez also visited Trinidad in 2009 to attend the Fifth Summit of the Americas and former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and her then Foreign Minister Winston Dookeran visited Costa Rica to attend the Third Summit of CELAC in 2015.

She said that this country was Costa Rica’s first partner in the English-speaking Caribbean, adding that trade relations between the two countries improved after the establishment of the Free Trade Agreement between Costa Rica and CARICOM in 2005 when an office of Costa Rica’s export promotion agency was established in this country.

She said that from 2012 to today, Costa Rica has exported more than US$270 million worth of goods to Trinidad and Tobago, while this country exported more than US$360 million to Costa Rica.

She said Costa Rica believes that it has expertise in several areas including tourism which it can share with Trinidad and Tobago and that there were many other areas of co-operation they could explore.

She said the photo exhibition under the theme, “We Are All Costa Rica” by the famed photographer Lucas Iturriza, which is the main attraction and main focus of the independence celebrations is intended to generate reflection and information and to highlight the importance of respect for ethnics, origins, beliefs, gender and culture.