Bangladesh, Costa Rica Seek New Avenues to Boost Ties

During the meeting on Friday, the Ambassador conveyed the warm greetings and best wishes of the Government and the people of Bangladesh.

President Chaves recalled his visit to Dhaka during his tenure as a senior official of the World Bank and expressed his appreciation for Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh.

Ambassador Mushfiqul thanked the President for his gracious gesture and extended an invitation to visit Bangladesh.

On Thursday, Ambassador Mushfiqul presented his Letters of Credence to the Vice President of Costa Rica, Dr. Mary Munive Angermu ller, said the Bangladesh Embassy on Saturday.

The formal ceremony took place at the The Yellow House, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica.

Vice President Dr. Mary Munive Angermu ller warmly welcomed Ambassador Mushfique and reaffirmed Costa Rica’s interest in deepening bilateral relations with Bangladesh.

Noting that national elections are scheduled to be held in both countries in February, she emphasized the importance of upholding democratic values and effectively addressing misinformation and disinformation during the electoral process.

She also highly appreciated Ambassador Mushfiqul’s  past contributions to the promotion of human rights and democracy.

Upon his arrival at the Yellow House, Ambassador Mushfiqul was accorded a ceremonial reception, including a Guard of Honour.

The national anthems of Bangladesh  and Costa Rica were played during the ceremony.

Following the presentation of credentials, the Ambassador paid a courtesy call on the Vice President, in the presence of the Foreign Minister of Costa Rica, Arnoldo Andre Tinoco.

The Ambassador emphasized the need to enhance business-to-business engagement between the two countries and highlighted opportunities for expanding trade, particularly in the ready-made garments and pharmaceutical sectors.

He proposed closer cooperation in the area of climate adaptation, noting the shared challenges and complementary capacities of the two countries.

He also expressed Bangladesh’s interest in initiating discussions on a Visa Waiver Agreement for holders of Diplomatic and Official passports, and encouraged consideration of easing visa procedures for Bangladeshi businesspeople.

Earlier on 22nd January, Ambassador Mushfique held a separate meeting with the Foreign Minister of Costa Rica, Arnoldo Andre Tinoco.

The discussions focused on strengthening trade cooperation, increasing imports from Bangladesh, and other issues of mutual interest.

Ambassador Mushfique underscored the potential of Bangladeshi manpower to contribute meaningfully to Costa Rica’s workforce and development.

On this occasion, the Ambassador Mushfique 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.

While conveying assurances in this regard, the Foreign Minister highlighted Costa Rica’s candidature for the post of United Nations Secretary-General and expressed the expectation of Bangladesh’s support for Rebeca Grynspan, currently serving as Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

He also commended Bangladesh’s significant contributions to United Nations peacekeeping operations.

Ambassador Mushfique visited a pharmaceutical laboratory in San Jose , namely MEDIGRAY and highlighted the strengths of Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical sector and encouraged them to explore sourcing medicines from Bangladesh.

Ambassador Mushfique also met members of the Bangladeshi community residing in San Jose and inquired about their well-being, reports UNB.