On a tour in East Asia since last week, Costa Rican Minister of Foreign Affairs Manuel Gonzalez Sanz has visited Indonesia and also Brunei to strengthen diplomatic and trade relations with both nations, said the foreign ministry this week.

After meeting in Jakarta with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Gonzalez presided over the formal inauguration of Costa Rica’s embassy which opened earlier this year in the Muslim-majority island nation.

“Costa Rica and Indonesia share common values ​​in their foreign policy including their firm attachment to peace, democracy, sustainable development and democracy that makes them natural partners despite the distance,” said both foreign ministers.

The ministers agreed to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in renewable energy management and academic scholarships, framed within the Somos 2021 Program.

Costa Rica also recognized the leadership of Indonesia within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries and expressed the interest that trade between Costa Rica and these countries should be strengthened and diversified.

Costa Rica has reached out to countries in the Middle East, in Europe and in Asia in the past year to diversify the country’s diplomatic relations, cooperation agreements, and business opportunities.