Dubai

Manuel Tovar, Minister of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica, hails the UAE as a reliable partner and trade gateway to the Middle East and Gulf countries, following the signing of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries.

In statements on the sidelines of the CEPA signing, Tovar said that the agreement marks a new era in promoting trade and investment relations between the two countries.

He stressed the importance of strengthening and expanding economic partnership with the UAE, recognising the country’s strategic economic weight, not only regionally but also in international markets.

He commended the UAE’s success in diversifying its economy beyond oil, leading to a developed and flexible economic structure, particularly in the service trade, a focus area for both nations to underscore and reinforce through the CEPA. Tovar stressed the mutual interest in bolstering economic ties through the CEPA, emphasising sectors like renewable energy, where Costa Rica aims to fulfill over 90 per cent of its electricity needs from sustainable sources.