Foreign relations of Costa Rica

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Costa Rica is currently an active member of the international community and, in 1983, claimed it was for neutrality.[1] Due to certain powerful constituencies[who?] favoring its methods, it has a weight in world affairs far beyond its size. The country lobbied aggressively for the establishment of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and became the first nation to recognize the jurisdiction of the Inter-American Human Rights Court, based in San José.

The foreign affairs of the Republic of Costa Rica are a function of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship.

History

Costa Rica gained election as president of the Group of 77 in the United Nations in 1995. That term ended in 1997 with the South-South Conference held in San Jose the 3rd.

Costa Rica occupied a nonpermanent seat in the Security Council from 1997 to 1999 and exercised a leadership role in confronting crises in the Middle East and Africa, as well as in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It is currently a member of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. On 1 January 2008 Costa Rica started its third year term on the Security Council.

Costa Rica strongly backed efforts by the United States to implement UN Security Council Resolution 940, which led to the restoration of the democratically elected Government of Haiti in October 1994. Costa Rica was among the first to call for a postponement of the 22 May elections in Peru when international observer missions found electoral machinery not prepared for the vote count.

Costa Rica is also a member of the International Criminal Court, without a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the US-military (as covered under Article 98).

Relations to Central America

In 1987, then President Óscar Arias authored a regional plan that served as the basis for the Esquipulas Peace Agreement and Arias was awarded the 1987 Nobel Peace Prize for his work. Arias also promoted change in the USSR-backed Nicaraguan government of the era. Costa Rica also hosted several rounds of negotiations between the Salvadoran Government and the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front, aiding El Salvador's efforts to emerge from civil war and culminating in that country's 1994 free and fair elections. Costa Rica has been a strong proponent of regional arms-limitation agreements. Former President Miguel Ángel Rodríguez recently proposed the abolition of all Central American militaries and the creation of a regional counternarcotics police force in their stead.

With the establishment of democratically elected governments in all Central American nations by the 1990s, Costa Rica turned its focus from regional conflicts to the pursuit of neoliberal policies on the isthmus. The influence of these policies, along with the US invasion of Panama, was instrumental in drawing Panama into the Central American model of neoliberalism. Costa Rica also participated in the multinational Partnership for Democracy and Development in Central America.

Regional political integration has not proven attractive to Costa Rica. The country debated its role in the Central American integration process under former President Calderon. Costa Rica has sought concrete economic ties with its Central American neighbors rather than the establishment of regional political institutions, and it chose not to join the Central American Parliament.

Costa Rica in the UN

Costa Rica has been an active member of the United Nations since its inception at the San Francisco Conference in 1945. Its first ambassador to the United Nations was Fernando Soto Harrison, the secretary of governance under President Picado.[2]

Costa Rican Christiana Figueres was nominated for the post of UN secretary-general in July 2016.

Diplomatic relations

List of countries with which Costa Rica maintains diplomatic relations:

More information #, Country ...
# Country Date
1 Honduras 1 July 1839[3]
2 Guatemala 18 August 1839[4]
3 El Salvador 10 December 1845[5]
4 United Kingdom 28 February 1848[6]
5 France 12 March 1848[7]
6 Spain 10 May 1850[8]
7 United States 24 March 1851[9]
8 Peru 25 April 1852[3]
9 Netherlands 12 July 1852[3]
10 Colombia 11 June 1856[10]
11 Chile 20 June 1857[11]
12 Belgium 26 July 1858[3]
13 Argentina 23 October 1862[12][13]
14 Italy 25 February 1864[14]
15 Nicaragua 30 July 1868[15]
16 Mexico 3 August 1876[16]
17 Dominican Republic 10 August 1876[17]
18 Ecuador 26 October 1885[18]
19 Venezuela 22 June 1891[19]
20 Panama 29 December 1903[20]
21 Bolivia 3 January 1907[21][22]
22 Brazil 21 June 1907[23]
23 Cuba 17 December 1907[3][24]
— Holy See 19 August 1908[25]
24 Portugal 10 July 1913[26]
25 Uruguay 16 January 1930[27]
26 Poland 18 November 1933[28]
27 Japan 20 February 1935[29]
28 Czech Republic 21 March 1935[30]
29 Sweden 26 November 1937[31]
30 Norway 2 May 1939[32]
31 Russia 8 May 1944[33]
32 Philippines 5 July 1946[34]
33 Denmark 3 October 1947[35]
34 Paraguay 5 January 1948[36]
35 Turkey 20 April 1950[37]
36 Cambodia 1 May 1950[38]
37 Austria 5 February 1952[39]
38 Serbia 14 June 1952[40]
39 Germany 7 October 1952[41]
40 Israel 22 October 1954[42]
41 Haiti 29 September 1955[42]
42  Switzerland 18 June 1957[43]
— Sovereign Military Order of Malta 8 August 1957[44]
43 Canada 20 January 1961[45]
44 South Korea 15 August 1962[46]
45 Luxembourg 29 January 1963[47]
46 Syria 15 December 1964[48]
47 Egypt 1964[49]
48 Greece 2 July 1965[50]
49 Finland 23 August 1966[51]
50 Hungary 14 May 1970[52]
51 India 15 September 1970[53]
52 Bulgaria 9 October 1970[54]
53 Romania 4 July 1970[55]
54 Trinidad and Tobago 21 May 1971[56]
55 Jamaica 21 July 1971[57]
56 Barbados 6 March 1972[58]
57 Ivory Coast 15 February 1973[59]
58 Albania 20 February 1973[60]
59 Tunisia 15 October 1973[61]
60 Pakistan 9 November 1973[62]
61 Thailand 14 December 1973[63]
— North Korea (suspended)[64] 10 February 1974[65]
62 Ethiopia 18 March 1974[66]
63 Cameroon 3 April 1974[67][68]
64 Guyana 17 April 1974[69]
65 Australia 9 October 1974[70]
66 Libya 30 November 1974[71]
67 Bahamas 1974[72]
68 Iran 16 June 1975[73]
69 Nigeria 26 June 1975[74]
70 Vietnam 24 April 1976[75]
71 Myanmar 8 March 1977[76]
72 Malaysia 17 April 1977[77]
73 Mongolia 6 June 1977[78]
74 Sri Lanka 11 June 1977[79]
75   Nepal 16 August 1977[80]
76 Papua New Guinea 28 April 1978[81]
77 Senegal 23 January 1979[82]
78 Suriname 1 March 1979[83]
79 Togo 11 June 1979[84]
80 Iraq March 1981[85]
81 Equatorial Guinea April 1981[86]
82 Belize September 1981[87]
83 Cyprus 17 November 1981[88]
84 Kenya 1982[89]
85 Antigua and Barbuda 16 January 1984[90]
86 Indonesia 9 January 1985[91]
87 Morocco 25 September 1986[92]
88 Singapore 1 September 1987[93]
89 New Zealand 5 July 1988[94]
90 Algeria 13 March 1990[95]
91 Saint Lucia 1991[96]
92 Seychelles 17 March 1992[95]
93 Lithuania 17 May 1992[97]
94 Ukraine 9 June 1992[95]
95 Saint Kitts and Nevis 11 June 1992[98]
96 Marshall Islands 15 June 1992[99]
97 Belarus 24 June 1992[100]
98 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines June 1992[101]
99 Grenada 31 August 1992[102]
100 Slovakia 6 January 1993[103]
101 Estonia 4 October 1993[104]
102 Brunei 14 April 1994[95]
103 Benin 28 June 1994[95]
104 South Africa 4 October 1994[95]
105 Guinea-Bissau 28 March 1995[95]
106 Bosnia and Herzegovina 19 October 1995[105]
107 Croatia 19 October 1995[106]
108 Slovenia 19 October 1995[107]
109 Andorra 22 May 1996[95]
110 Cape Verde 23 May 1996[95]
111 Kazakhstan 1 October 1996[95]
112 North Macedonia 15 October 1996[95]
113 Iceland 10 January 1997[108]
114 Azerbaijan 15 January 1997[109]
115 Armenia 8 April 1997[110]
116 Lesotho 17 April 1998[95]
117 Georgia 5 May 1998[95]
118 Gambia 26 October 1999[95]
119 Liechtenstein 12 January 2000[111]
120 Moldova 4 May 2000[95]
121 Ghana 11 July 2000[3]
122 Ireland 15 September 2000[95]
123 Tajikistan 28 February 2001[95]
124 Rwanda 8 March 2001[95]
125 Angola 13 March 2001[95]
126 Mozambique 15 March 2001[95]
127 Dominica 10 May 2001[95]
128 Uzbekistan 7 June 2001[95]
129 Burkina Faso 22 June 2001[95]
130 Kyrgyzstan 24 September 2001[95]
131 Timor-Leste 14 May 2003[95]
132 Latvia 15 May 2003[95]
133 Qatar 17 March 2004[95]
134 Bahrain 22 September 2006[95]
135 Kuwait 22 September 2006[112]
136 Jordan 10 January 2007[95]
137 Montenegro 24 May 2007[112]
138 China 1 June 2007[112]
139 Lebanon 24 August 2007[95]
140 Uganda 29 August 2007[112]
141 Yemen 4 September 2007[112]
142 Republic of Congo 4 September 2007[95]
143 Botswana 11 September 2007[112]
144 Eswatini 24 September 2007[95]
145 Burundi 28 September 2007[112]
146 Guinea 1 October 2007[112]
147 Oman 19 December 2007[95]
— State of Palestine 5 February 2008[95]
148 San Marino 19 February 2008[113]
149 United Arab Emirates 11 March 2010[95]
150 Maldives 21 September 2010[95]
151 Bhutan 21 March 2012[95]
152 Fiji 2 August 2013[95]
— Kosovo 23 September 2013[114]
153 Zambia 28 May 2014[115]
154 Namibia 12 December 2014[116]
155 Laos 28 September 2015[95]
156 Monaco 22 October 2015[117]
157 Saudi Arabia 7 December 2015[95]
158 Vanuatu 28 September 2018[118]
159 Bangladesh Unknown[119]
160 Liberia Unknown[120]
161 Malta Unknown[120]
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Bilateral relations

More information Country, Formal Relations Began ...
Country Formal Relations Began Notes
Azerbaijan 15 January 1997[121]
  • The diplomatic relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Costa Rica were established on 15 January 1997.[121]
  • The Republic of Azerbaijan is accredited to the Republic of Costa Rica through its embassy in Mexico City, Mexico.[122]
China

See China–Costa Rica relations

Costa Rica maintained official relations with the Republic of China (commonly known as Taiwan) instead of the People's Republic of China (commonly known as China) until 1 June 2007, when it opened relations with China. Taiwan then broke relations on 7 June.[123]

  • China has an embassy in San José.
  • Costa Rica has an embassy in Beijing.
Cuba

Soon after Fidel Castro declared Cuba a socialist state, Costa Rican President Mario Echandi Jiménez ended diplomatic relations on 10 September 1961 with the island through Executive Decree Number 2, in compliance with sanctions placed on Cuba by the Organization of American States. In 1995, Costa Rica established a consular office in Havana. Cuba opened a consular office in Costa Rica in 2001. Forty-seven years after the initial freeze, Costa Rican President Óscar Arias Sánchez announced on 18 March 2009 that normal relations were to be re-established, saying, "If we have been able to turn the page with regimes as profoundly different to our reality as occurred with the USSR or, more recently, with the Republic of China, how would we not do it with a country that is geographically and culturally much nearer to Costa Rica?" Arias also announced that both countries would exchange ambassadors.[124] The next day, Cuba's government announced that it agreed to re-establishing relations.

  • Costa Rica has an embassy in Havana.
  • Cuba has an embassy in San José.
IndiaSee Costa Rica–India relations
  • India has honorary consulate in San José.[125]
  • Costa Rica maintains an embassy in New Delhi.[126]
IsraelSee Costa Rica–Israel relations

Costa Rica recognized Israel on 19 June 1948.[127] The Embassy of Costa Rica was located in Tel Aviv until it moved to Jerusalem in 1982.[128] As of 1984, Costa Rica and El Salvador were the only two countries that recognized Israel and also maintained an embassy in Jerusalem.[129] In 2006, the Embassy of Costa Rica relocated to Tel Aviv;[130] Costa Rican President Óscar Arias said the decision was intended to "rectify a historic error".[131]

In December 2011, Rodrigo Carreras became the Costa Rican ambassador to Israel for the second time, after his posting there in the 1980s. Carreras' father, Benjamin Nunez, also served as the Costa Rican ambassador to Israel.[132]

  • Costa Rica has an embassy in Tel Aviv.
  • Israel has an embassy in San José.
ItalySee Costa Rica–Italy relations
  • Costa Rica has an embassy in Rome.
  • Italy has an embassy in San José.
Kosovo23 September 2013

Costa Rica officially recognised the independence of the Republic of Kosovo on 17 February 2008.[133] Costa Rica and Kosovo established diplomatic relations on 23 September 2013.[134][135]

Mexico1838See Costa Rica–Mexico relations

Diplomatic relations between Mexico and Costa Rica began in 1838.

RussiaSee Costa Rica–Russia relations
Serbia1952[138]
  • Both countries have established diplomatic relations in 1952.[139]
  • A number of bilateral agreements have been concluded and are in force between both countries.[140]
South Korea15 August 1962[138]

The establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Costa Rica began on 15 August 1962.

Spain1850See Costa Rica–Spain relations
  • Costa Rica has an embassy in Madrid.[142]
  • Spain has an embassy in San José.[143]
Turkey15 January 1898[144]See Costa Rica–Turkey relations
  • Costa Rica has an embassy in Ankara.[145]
  • Turkey has an embassy in San José.[145]
  • Trade volume between the two countries was US$100 million in 2019 (Costa Rican exports/imports: 41.8/58.9 million USD).[145]
United Kingdom1848See Costa Rica–United Kingdom relations

Costa Rica established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 28 February 1848.[6]

  • Costa Rica maintains an embassy in London.[146]
  • The United Kingdom is accredited to Costa Rica from its embassy in San José.[147]

Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact,[148] the International Criminal Court, the OECD, and the World Trade Organization, as well as the Central America–UK Association Agreement.[149] Bilaterally the two countries have an Investment Agreement.[150]

United StatesSee Costa Rica–United States relations

The United States is Costa Rica's most important trading partner. The U.S. accounts for almost half of Costa Rica's exports, imports, and tourism, and more than two-thirds of its foreign investment. The two countries share growing concerns for the environment and want to preserve Costa Rica's important tropical resources and prevent environmental degradation. In 2007, the United States reduced Costa Rica's debt in exchange for protection and conservation of Costa Rican forests through a debt for nature swap under the auspices of the Tropical Forest Conservation Act. This is the largest such agreement of its kind to date.

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.

UruguaySee Costa Rica–Uruguay relations
  • Costa Rica has an embassy in Montevideo.
  • Uruguay has an embassy in San José.
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See also

Sources

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