Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Honourable Hugh Todd, discusses regional integration with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Costa Rica, the Honourable Rodolfo Solano Quirós and Her Excellency Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Permanent Representative of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana to the United Nations (UN).
-prioritizes regional integration
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Honourable Hugh Todd, today met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Costa Rica, the Honourable Rodolfo Solano Quirós, during which among mutual areas of interest, they discussed the enhancement of bilateral relations and regional integration. The Foreign Ministers were also joined by Her Excellency Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Permanent Representative of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana to the United Nations (UN).
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 energize 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).
In his turn, Minister Todd reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to regional integration and regionalism. “We believe in cooperation, we believe in intergovernmentalism,” the Foreign Minister stated. Further, the Foreign Minister 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.
The Foreign Ministers 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 others.
Guyana and Costa Rica established diplomatic relations on April 17, 1974. The two countries often collaborate at the multilateral level through organizations such as the Organization of American States (OAS), the Community of Latin America and Caribbean States (CELAC), the Latin America and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), and the UN.
