Bangladesh and Costa Rica are looking to open new avenues to strengthen bilateral ties.
Ambassador Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey, the accredited envoy to the Republic of Costa Rica, recently met with President Rodrigo Chaves Robles during a reception at the National Theatre Hall, where both leaders emphasised the importance of enhancing cooperation between the two nations.
During their meeting on Friday, the ambassador conveyed warm greetings from the government and the people of Bangladesh.
President Chaves recalled his previous visit to Dhaka during his tenure as a senior official at the World Bank and expressed his appreciation for Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.
In turn, Ambassador Mushfiqul extended an invitation to the president to visit Bangladesh.
The ambassador presented his Letters of Credence to the Vice President of Costa Rica, Mary Munive Angermüller 0n Thursday, at The Yellow House, which serves as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the formal ceremony, Munive reaffirmed Costa Rica’s interest in deepening relations. Noting that both countries have national elections scheduled for February, she stressed the importance of upholding democratic values and addressing misinformation and disinformation during the electoral process.
Munive also highly commended Ambassador Mushfiqul’s past contributions to the promotion of human rights and democracy.
Upon his arrival at The Yellow House, the ambassador received a ceremonial reception, including a Guard of Honour, and the national anthems of both countries were played. Following the presentation, he paid a courtesy call to the vice president in the presence of Foreign Minister Arnoldo André Tinoco.
Key highlights of the bilateral discussions included trade and the economy, where the ambassador emphasised the need for enhanced business-to-business engagement, particularly in the ready-made garments (RMG) and pharmaceutical sectors.
He also suggested easing visa procedures for Bangladeshi businesspeople. Both sides discussed closer cooperation in climate adaptation and the potential for Bangladeshi manpower to contribute to Costa Rica’s development. Discussions were also initiated regarding a Visa Waiver Agreement for holders of Diplomatic and Official passports.
Furthermore, Ambassador Mushfiqul sought Costa Rica’s support for Bangladesh’s candidature for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2031–2032 term.
The Foreign Minister highlighted Costa Rica’s support for Rebeca Grynspan for the post of UN Secretary-General and commended Bangladesh’s significant contributions to UN peacekeeping operations. Earlier, on 22 January, the ambassador held a separate meeting with Foreign Minister Arnoldo André Tinoco to focus on trade cooperation and increasing imports from Bangladesh.
During his visit, Ambassador Mushfiqul also toured MEDIGRAY, a pharmaceutical laboratory in San Jose, to explore sourcing medicines from Bangladesh, and met with members of the Bangladeshi community residing in the city.
