Intensifying political dialogue, cooperation with Costa Rica

Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Selakovic said today that the celebration of 140 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Serbia and Costa Rica was an excellent opportunity for the first, historic visit of a Serbian minister of foreign affairs to San Jose.

Selakovic said that he met yesterday with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Religion of Costa Rica Arnoldo Andre Tinoco, to whom he told that our country is interested in improving cooperation and reviving bilateral political dialogue, as well as intensifying contacts and meetings between the officials of the two countries.

He also expressed the hope that the significant jubilee that our countries are celebrating this year - 140 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, will be an opportunity for Minister Tinoco to visit Belgrade by the end of the year.

After the meeting, the ministers signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of a political consultation mechanism of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, as well as the Memorandum of Understanding on the cooperation of the Diplomatic Academy of the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the "Manuel Maria de Peralta" Diplomatic Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica.

Also, Selakovic and Tinoco signed the Joint Declaration on the proclamation of a new date for the establishment of diplomatic relations between Serbia and Costa Rica, which set 27 October 1882 as the day of the start of bilateral relations between the two countries.

Selakovic also had separate meetings with the Minister of Foreign Trade, the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, as well as the Minister of Energy and Environmental Protection.

On that occasion, he signed the Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of agriculture and the Memorandum of Understanding in the field of sports with the relevant ministers.

Selakovic recalled that Costa Rica was among the first in the world to recognise the so-called independence of our southern province, but added that this is the first opportunity to discuss this topic in their capital city.

We discussed the differences in our views on that issue, but also highlighted Belgrade's commitment to seeking a peaceful, compromise, mutually acceptable and sustainable solution for our southern province, the Minister concluded.