QCOSTARICA – Costa Rica was the site for the 7th Meeting of Ministers of the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC), focusing on strengthening ties between these regions.
During the two days, from August 19 to 21, representatives of the 36 nations of the forum discussed issues of common interest, at the Real Intercontinental hotel in Escazu (San Jose).
The meeting was officially opened by Costa Rican president Luis Guillermo Solis Rivera, followed by the first Plenary Session chaired by Costa Rica’s Foreign Minister, Manuel A Gonzalez Sanz.
On Friday, Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Brunei, delivered a speech highlighting FEALAC’s importance in establishing new directions for bilateral and multilateral cooperation across the world.
Gonzalez, said the meeting was an opportunity to seek political positioning in the environment of the FEALAC member nations.
The region, covered by FEALAC, is important as it makes up a third of the world’s area, 40 per cent of the world’s population, 33 percent of the volume of the world’s trade and 35 per cent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product.
“For Costa Rica, the ministerial meeting is of particular importance as we identify with the bi-regional objectives and want them to come to fruition,” President Solis said.
Thailand and Costa Rica have been sharing the presidency of FEALAC since 2013. This is the first time the meeting is being held in Central America.
FEALAC consists of 20 countries in Latin America and 16 in Asia, and was established in 1999 by Chile.
