Grenada, Costa Rica sign framework co-operation agreement

Prime Minister Tillman Thomas and His Excellency Enrique Castillo Barrantes, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Costa Rica, last week Thursday signed a Framework Co-operation Agreement in which both countries signalled their commitment to bilateral co-operation.

Within the Framework Agreement, officials from the two countries will meet biennially, alternating between the capital cities of San José and St. George’s.

Prime Minister Tillman Thomas and His Excellency Enrique
Castillo Barrantes, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of
Costa Rica (centre), with Ministers Patrick Simmons and
Dr. George Vincent, and the visiting delegation from Costa Rica.

The agreement promotes co-operation in areas of great importance to the two nations, particularly in education, culture, health, tourism, agriculture, environment, science and technology, library and archives, sports and youth, co-operatives, institutional strengthening of the foreign service and the rights of children and families in all their forms.

The official signing ceremony took place at the Belmont Estate, where the Prime Minister, joined by Ministers Patrick Simmons and Dr. George Vincent, welcomed the visiting delegation and discussed the implementation of the agreement, identifying concrete areas for co-operation.

Costa Rica, like Grenada, is a developing State, and co-operation is expected to take the form of South-South co-operation, or triangular co-operation agreements. The Agreement also makes provisions for heightened involvement of the private sector in both countries. The Costa Rican Foreign Minister also extended an invitation for a small team comprising both private and public sector representatives,

all expenses paid by the Costa Rican Government, to visit San José in an effort to attract Costa Rican investment to Grenada.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Elizabeth Henry-Greenidge, said the signed agreement is the result of over a year of work dating back to the VI Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia, where initial talks were held. PS Henry-Greenidge said the importance of this newly strengthened relationship between Grenada and Costa Rica is significant and timely.

The two countries established diplomatic relations as far back as December 15, 1977.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs looks forward to the implementation of the framework agreement and encourages local stakeholders to be ready to take advantage of the opportunities which will come out of the agreement.