In March 2020, the Israel Ibero-America Chamber of Commerce (CILIB) and the Costa Rica Support and Promotion Office (OSPCR) organized in San José the agenda for the first official visit of the Government of Andorra to Costa Rica, led by Jordi Gallardo, Minister of the Presidency and Economy of the Principality. The visit, whose main day was March 5, served to explore trade relations between Andorra and Costa Rica with ministries, the Legislative Assembly, technical institutions and the university sector.
This article summarizes that agenda using the information from the news items published by the Chamber (formerly the Multilateral Chamber of Commerce and Cooperation Israel Ibero-America) and links to each of them. In those items, Gallardo is referred to as Minister of the Presidency and Economy or, in short form, as Andorra’s Minister of Economy.
Background to the visit
The 2019 Concert for Peace
The news items on the agenda agree that the visit took place thanks to the third edition of the Concert for Peace, which the OSPCR organizes every year in Jerusalem to commemorate the abolition of the Costa Rican army. In November 2019, Jordi Gallardo was part of the Ibero-American delegation that visited the Knesset and took part in the concert, where he highlighted the similarities between Andorra and Costa Rica, two States without an army that share a high-quality democracy.
A precedent in Lima: Peru and Andorra
In February 2020, during the Minister’s visit to Peru, the Chamber held in Lima a meeting with Peruvian business leaders from the food and medical industries to analyze investment and trade opportunities between Peru and Andorra, in line with its role as a platform for multilateral trade.
The Andorran Minister’s agenda in Costa Rica
Welcome cocktail and opening of the regional headquarters
The Chamber issued invitations for Wednesday, March 4, 2020, at the Hotel Marriott AC Escazú (San José), to a welcome cocktail in honor of the Minister, which also marked the opening of the Chamber’s regional headquarters in Latin America.
According to the report on the cocktail, it was attended by representatives of several of the Chamber’s regional offices and of other business chambers, including Arianna Tristán, Director of Innovation at the Costa Rican Chamber of Industries; a delegation from the National Technical University (UTN); and Congresswoman Ana Karine Niño, Chair of the International Affairs Committee of the Legislative Assembly. At the event, the business opportunities that Andorra offers the Costa Rican business sector in exports, tourism and investment were presented.
Ministry of Economy: two gateways
The Chamber and the OSPCR organized a meeting between Jordi Gallardo and Victoria Hernández Mora, Costa Rica’s Minister of Economy. The parties highlighted the geostrategic location of both countries, which allows them to be used as gateways to the markets of Central America and Europe.
Andorra, although not a member of the European Union, has a customs union agreement and a monetary agreement with it that allows it to use the euro. Costa Rica is a member of the Central American Integration System (SICA).
Foreign trade: COMEX and the Legislative Assembly
On March 5, 2020, the agenda brought the Minister together with Dyalá Jiménez, Costa Rica’s Minister of Foreign Trade, and Congresswoman Ana Karine Niño to assess opportunities for economic exchange in the field of foreign trade. The Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX) is the institution that defines and directs Costa Rica’s trade and foreign investment policy.
Parliamentary dialogue between Andorra and Costa Rica
That same day, Gallardo met with congressmen and congresswomen of the National Liberation Party and the National Restoration Party: Ana Karine Niño, for the former, and Carlos Luis Avendaño Calvo, Eduardo Newton Cruickshank Smith, Floria María Segreda Sagot, Giovanni Alberto Gómez Obando, Melvin Ángel Núñez Piña, Mileidy Alvarado Arias and Xiomara Priscilla Rodríguez Hernández, for the latter. They discussed the similarities between the democratic systems of both countries and how to strengthen relations at the parliamentary level.
Animal health, university and Government
Also on March 5, the Chamber and the OSPCR organized the following meetings:
- SENASA: with Federico Chaverri Suárez, Director General of the National Animal Health Service, opportunities for economic exchange in the animal sector were assessed, taking into account the technical and phytosanitary requirements of both countries.
- National Technical University: with Rector Marcelo Prieto, opportunities for university cooperation were analyzed, especially in the exchange of knowledge and academic experiences.
- Casa Presidencial: with Silvia Lara, Acting Minister of the Presidency, the strengthening of government relations was discussed. David Abraham, Secretary General of the OSPCR and President of the Chamber, reported on the OSPCR’s work over the previous 11 years to promote Costa Rica’s image abroad.
Review with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and PROCOMER
At the meetings with Adriana Bolaños Argueta, Costa Rica’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, and with Erick Ulate, Deputy Director of PROCOMER’s Exports Department, the conclusions of the agenda were summarized and the projects under way between Andorra and Costa Rica through the OSPCR and the Chamber were reviewed. PROCOMER (Costa Rica’s Foreign Trade Promoter) is the institution responsible for promoting exports of Costa Rican goods and services.
Pillars of trade relations between Andorra and Costa Rica
The agenda organized by the Chamber covered four areas:
- Foreign trade and investment: Ministry of Economy, COMEX, PROCOMER and the presentation of Andorra at the cocktail.
- Agribusiness and animal health: technical and phytosanitary requirements with SENASA.
- Educational cooperation: academic exchange with UTN.
- Institutional dialogue: Legislative Assembly, Casa Presidencial and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The news items record the topics discussed and the review presented at the meetings; they do not detail any formal agreements resulting from the visit.
Timeline of Andorra’s visit to Costa Rica
- November 2019: Minister Gallardo takes part in the 3rd Concert for Peace, the origin of the visit.
- February 2020: meeting in Lima on trade between Peru and Andorra.
- March 2020: meeting with Costa Rica’s Minister of Economy.
- March 4, 2020: welcome cocktail and opening of the regional headquarters (invitation and report).
- March 5, 2020: meetings with COMEX and the Legislative Assembly, PLN and PRC congressmen and congresswomen, SENASA, UTN, Casa Presidencial, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and PROCOMER.
The Chamber, Andorra and Costa Rica
Andorra and Costa Rica are part of the scope of work of the Israel Ibero-America Chamber of Commerce, which works in foreign trade, training and cooperation between Israel, 22 Ibero-American countries, Andorra and the United States. See the Andorra country profile, the Costa Rica country profile and the Smart Export service.
