Costa Rica’s Foreign Minister says best relationship is with Belize

bruno stagno

In Costa Rica, final preparations are underway for the historic inauguration of its first female president. Laura Chinchilla will assume office in the Central American nation this Saturday and tomorrow morning she will appear on Channel Five’s Open Your Eyes. Chinchilla was in Belize in 2007 as vice-president. Our team arrived in Costa Rica late last night and today, William Neal and Marleni Cuellar interviewed Foreign Minister Bruno Stagna. Here is that report.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting

Laura Chinchilla is the first woman to be elected president of the Republic of Costa Rica.  The fifty year old politician has served as vice president and justice minister in the outgoing president’s Cabinet.  According to Bruno Stagno, Costa Rica’s Foreign Minister, Belize is a staunch ally of his nation.

Bruno Stagno, Foreign Minister of Costa Rica

“Belize is probably our strongest ally in SICA. Every time that I’ve been to a council or ministers. We are always son par with Belize. We have very similar outlook as to how we should proceed forward. I must say that I have had very splendid relations with the four or five foreign ministers that I have had the opportunity to work with. I would say our relationships are amongst the best if not the best in Central America and we’re very pleased when we see Belize participating as a full member with full weight in SICA decisions.”

Though there are friendly relations between the two countries, Stagno believes that there are plenty areas of cooperation that can be improved.

Bruno Stagno

“However, there is still a lot we can do bilaterally. There are enormous amounts of issues that we can deal with bilaterally where we can cooperate, where Costa Rica can cooperate a lot more with Belize and there are also areas where I think we can learn more from you. That has been next to my regrets, something we have not been able to develop as quickly and as immediately as I would have liked. In fact, we are still trying to schedule over these last weeks, a visit by Minister Elrington so that we can sign a couple of agreements.”

Costa Rica does not only look to Belize but also to one other CARICOM ally that can help to further the development of the country’s population of four and a half million people.

Bruno Stagno

“Belize is without a doubt our staunchest ally and friend in SICA and you are also our bridge to CARICOM. There is no question about that. Today we have two embassies in CARICOM, one in Belize and one in Trinidad and Tobago. You are both the extremities of CARICOM and these are the two countries with which we feel the most intimacy and the two with which we feel most at ease and so I believe that the new government will continue regarding Belize as a staunch ally and friend, as our partner in SICA and as our bridge in CARICOM.”

On his next assignment, Stagno leaves behind the mountains of Costa Rica to be the country’s permanent representative to the United Nations. The last minute preparations for the president elect are underway and Channel Five will bring you the live broadcast of the presidential induction. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.