(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Deepak John |
The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: Costa Rica is keen to further bolster its ties with Qatar and is working to foster robust collaboration to attract investments in all fields, said Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of the Republic of Costa Rica, H E Dr. Arnoldo Andre.
In an exclusive interview with The Peninsula H E Dr. Arnoldo Andre said,“We will be working to attract investments in all kinds of fields, not only the commercial, manufacturing field but also larger infrastructure projects and an intense cultural exchange of experiences between Qatar and Costa Rica. We will work with diplomatic academies and in scientific innovation fields between both countries.”
Costa Rica and Qatar have official bilateral relations for almost 20 years. The first Middle East Embassy that Costa Rica opened was in Qatar about 13 years ago. The Minister of Foreign Affairs made a reference to the Second Round of Political Consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the two countries which dealt with bilateral relations, in addition to a host of topics of common interest, held recently in San Jose.
Regarding the trade exchange between the two countries Minister of Foreign Affairs noted that there is potential to further increase the trade by exploring investment opportunities.“Qatar is importing from Costa Rica mainly bananas, coffee and other tropical products and we are importing technical and electronic products. Both countries need to work to enhance trade and investments.”
Ecotourism is a robust industry in Costa Rica as the country has connected to nature and wildlife conservation with responsible travel. It has been ranked among the world's best ecotourism destinations.
“Tourists look for an experience that they can remember and we have connected to nature since we are a tropical country with lot of water, rain, dense vegetation, animal wild life. Tourists love to come and experience adventures. We are back to pre-pandemic figures and are welcoming about three million tourists per year and want to increase it further,” Dr. Arnoldo said.
Minister of Foreign Affairs added,“Qatari citizens do not need a visa to travel to Costa Rica while those holding a US, Canadian or European visa can also enter the country without any visa. People of others countries can apply for visas through our consulate. We want to continue sharing tourism experience and for our people to visit Qatar.”
Citing the mega sporting event the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, he said,“The World Cup helped boost the tourism in Qatar.
“A lot of Costa Ricans came here during the tournament to enjoy the wonderful sights of Qatar and its hospitality.”
Elaborating regarding the investment opportunities that Costa Rica offers for Qatari investors, the Minister of Foreign Affairs noted,“We have been very successful in attracting foreign direct investments into our country. More than 250 international US and European companies already work in Costa Rica.”
“The country has developed to an optimal standard point to do business and we are especially viewing the North American market. Under the new US Chips Act, we have qualified as a country suitable for establishing the semiconductor industry within the supply chain. Our economy is turning into a highly technical manufacturing facility for products to be placed within the US, Canadian and Mexican markets,” Dr. Arnoldo added.
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