On 25 October 2013, Mr. Jullapong Nonsrichai, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, held a bilateral discussion with Mr. José Enrique Castillo Barrantes, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of the Republic of Costa Rica, during the latter’s official visit to Thailand.

Both Ministers noted the cordial bilateral relations between Thailand and Costa Rica and looked forward to further strengthening the Regional Coordinators for the Forum for East Asia - Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) for 2013 - 2015. Thailand will host the 15th FEALAC Senior Officials Meeting in Chiang Mai in June 2014 and will cooperate closely with Costa Rica on the matter.

The Vice Minister informed Minister Castillo of the Thai Government’s policies on political reconciliation, economic development and investment in large-scale transport infrastructure projects which are expected to help boost Thailand’s competitiveness and connect countries in mainland Southeast Asia. 

The Vice Minister expressed admiration for Costa Rica’s foreign policy, which focuses on strengthening relations with neighbouring countries and actively participating in international fora, as well as for its economic success and environmental conservation. The Vice Minister also reiterated Thailand to enhance relations with Costa Rica and Latin American countries, particularly in trade and investment.

Minister Castillo said that Costa Rica aimed to strengthen relations with Thailand and Asian countries and was ready to be a bridge between Thailand and Latin America. Both Ministers agreed that there were several various potential areas for cooperation between the two countries, including eco-tourism.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Costa Rica said that his country agreed to support Thailand for its candidature for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council (UNSC) for the term 2017 - 2018 and to reciprocate support for membership in the Human Rights Council (HRC) for the term 2015-2017. The Minister also expressed appreciation to the Government of Thailand for scholarships in various courses granted to Costa Rican nationals during the past few years.