Costa Rica and Vietnam are exploring opportunities to boost collaboration in tourism and marine economy. This was discussed during a meeting between Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the sidelines of the Blue Economy and Finance Forum in Monaco.
President Chaves highlighted the potential for collaboration between the two countries. He also expressed interest in Vietnam's tourism sector, noting the nearly 20 million international visitors the country welcomed last year.
Given their extensive coastlines, both leaders see great potential for cooperation in the marine economy. This includes ocean protection, sustainable development, and marine environment protection.
Prime Minister Chinh emphasized Vietnam's commitment to friendship and multifaceted collaboration with Costa Rica. He suggested enhancing political trust through exchanges of delegations and promoting bilateral trade, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people connections.
The Prime Minister thanked Costa Rica for recognizing Vietnam as a market economy. He expressed confidence that bilateral economic and trade cooperation will further develop.
He also invited Costa Rica to send a high-level delegation to the signing ceremony of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime in Hanoi in October. He also invited President Rodrigo Chaves to visit Vietnam soon.
Prime Minister Chinh was the main guest at the Blue Economy and Finance Forum. He delivered a speech emphasizing his country's willingness to participate in and lead maritime cooperation mechanisms.
He addressed how to ensure sustainable ocean governance and financing. He noted that while oceans cover 70% of the Earth's surface, conservation and rational use have the lowest investment level among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.
To address this, he proposed adopting a comprehensive and global approach. This approach should be fair, equitable, inclusive, and sustainable to conserve and jointly develop the blue ocean.
The day before, Prime Minister Chinh also met with the King of Jordan, Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein. He proposed establishing bilateral cooperation mechanisms soon, including political consultations between the foreign ministries. He also proposed negotiating a visa exemption agreement for diplomatic and official passport holders.