1. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se met with his Costa Rican counterpart Manuel Gonzalez Sanz in France on November 30, local time, and exchanged views with him on key issues between the Republic of Korea and Costa Rica as well as other matters of common concern. Foreign Minister Yun was in France accompanying President Park Geun-hye, who attended the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) in Paris.

2. The two Ministers noted with appreciation that since the establishment of the bilateral diplomatic relations in 1962, the ROK and Costa Rica have been seeing their substantive cooperation deepen and advance not only in political affairs, economy and culture but also through the recently vitalized high-level exchanges.

3. Minister Yun, taking note of the recent growth streak of the bilateral trade, voiced expectation that the currently ongoing negotiations for the proposed ROK-Central America FTA will be concluded as soon as possible and in a smooth manner, and will lead to a further vitalization of bilateral trade and investment. Minister Gonzalez mentioned that he shared Minister Yun’s expectation.

4. Minister Yun spoke about the recently expanded investment of Korean companies in Costa Rica. In response, Minister Gonzalez positively mentioned that Korean companies’ investment is playing a role in the improvement of the competitiveness and technology of Costa Rica’s textile industry. Minister Yun asked the Costa Rican government to pay attention and render support to Korean enterprises for their smooth business operations.

5. Minister Yun voiced expectation that Korean companies, which are successfully conducting construction projects in diverse regions of the world by using their abundant experiences in construction and outstanding technology, will participate in infrastructure construction projects in Costa Rica. Minister Gonzalez conveyed hope for an increase in substantive cooperation in various fields, including the maintenance and management of bridges through information and communications technology (ICT) and the construction of new airports.

6. The two Ministers commended many countries for their efforts to respond to climate change and agreed to work together to successfully establish a new climate regime at the COP21.

7. The two Ministers noted with appreciation that the ROK and Costa Rica have been working closely together on the international stage, including the UN, the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC), the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and the Central American Integration System (SICA). The Costa Rican side reaffirmed support for the ROK government’s policies toward North Korea and for a peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula.

8. The ROK-Costa Rica Foreign Ministers’ meeting is seen to have served as an opportunity to review the progress in cooperation across the board and discuss ways to promote substantive cooperation with Costa Rica, one of the ROK’s traditional allies.


* unofficial translation