Guyana, Costa Rica discuss bilateral relations, regional integration

FOREIGN AFFAIRS and International Cooperation Minister, Hugh Todd, on Tuesday, met with Foreign Affairs Minister of the Republic of Costa Rica, Rodolfo Solano Quirós, on a number of areas of mutual interest as well as enhancement of bilateral relations and regional integration.
Further, the foreign ministers were joined by Guyana’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations (UN), Rodrigues-Birkett.
Minister Solano extended congratulations to Guyana for its leadership of the Group of 77 and China, noting that the initiatives undertaken during Guyana’s chairmanship have helped to energise the objective of the Group.

Further, the Foreign Minister underscored the need for enhanced regional integration and the deepening of ties between Central America and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
On his part, Minister Todd reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to regional integration and regionalism.
“We believe in cooperation; we believe in inter-governmentalism,” the Foreign Minister stated.

Minister Todd stressed the importance of South-South cooperation and noted that the two countries have a good opportunity to explore collaborative initiatives to strengthen relations and bring the people of Guyana and Costa Rica closer together.

He also discussed the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Costa Rica’s presidency pro tempore of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and climate change, among other matters.

Guyana and Costa Rica established diplomatic relations on April 17, 1974. The two countries often collaborate at the multilateral level through organisations such as the Organisation of American States (OAS), the Community of Latin America and Caribbean States (CELAC), the Latin America and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), and the United Nations (UN).