Costa Rica's President visits
Costa Rica’s President Carlos Alvarado Quesada was welcomed to Berlin with military honours by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. At a meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel he discussed political and economic relations, the current situation in the region and international cooperation.
1 min reading time
"Costa Rica is a long-standing, reliable partner in Central America," declared Chancellor Angela Merkel. The country is a stable democracy, with an open economy and an impressive commitment to sustainable development, she added.
Before her meeting with President Carlos Alvarado Quesada, the Chancellor stressed that the two countries have much in common, in particular their commitment to multilateral cooperation.
Reliable and constructive partner
Costa Rica is a reliable and constructive partner in multilateral cooperation, including international climate change mitigation and the Sustainable Development Goals laid out in the 2030 Agenda. Since 2015 the country has been an accession candidate for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Leader in climate change mitigation
Bilateral relations cover a wide spectrum. The two countries cooperate closely on environmental and climate issues as well as in the fields of culture, education, and science and research. In Latin America, Costa Rica is the undisputed leader in the field of climate change mitigation: the percentage of power generated from renewables in Costa Rica is one of the highest anywhere in the world. As a member of the EU-initiated International Contact Group on Venezuela, Costa Rica is actively pursuing a peaceful and democratic solution to the political crisis that is shaking the country.
President Quesada will be speaking at the Future Forum staged by the Federal Foreign Office’s Latin America Initiative. He will also be visiting Hamburg during his visit.