INTERVIEW Ex-Costa Rican envoy returns as FM, lauds Korea as model in post-COVID era
Costa Rican Foreign Minister Rodolfo Solano Quiros poses during an interview with The Korea Times at the Costa Rican Embassy in Myeong-dong, central Seoul, March 15. Also a former ambassador to Seoul, he visited here from March 15 to 19 as his first overseas trip destination after becoming the country's top diplomat in February 2020. Korea Times photo by Yi Whan-woo
By Yi Whan-woo
Traveling to Korea in his first overseas trip after becoming the Costa Rican foreign minister was perhaps taken for granted for Rodolfo Solano Quiros, who has been in search of a model country to emulate in the post-COVID-19 era.
He spent over a decade in Korea, first as a student in the late 1990s, then as Costa Rica's minister counselor and consul general to Korea from 2002 to 2010, and as the ambassador from 2015 to 2019.
This was when he witnessed the Korean government's vision for digital technology and sustainable development, which Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado Quesada seeks to nurture.
It was also when Korea, after becoming a member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1996, continued to expand its economy to become a G20 nation.
Costa Rica became the first country from Central America and the Caribbean to join the OECD in 2020.
Being the rotating chair of SICA, an economic bloc of eight Central American countries, in the first half of 2021, Costa Rica is pushing to expand SICA's economic horizons across the Asia-Pacific.
Their strategy, according to Solano, is to enhance ties with the 10-member ASEAN and also India, with which President Moon Jae-in has pushed to foster relations under his signature New Southern Policy.
“I always tried to come back to Korea since I left … It is emblematic to come back to one of the countries Costa Rica admires, and most importantly, one of the countries Costa Rica considered a special friend as a strategic partner,” the foreign minister said during an interview with The Korea Times at the Costa Rican Embassy, March 15. “We have a shared goal in digital technology, decarbonization and other areas in the post-pandemic era, and our strategy with Korea is a win-win process.”
Costa Rican Foreign Minister Rodolfo Solano Quiros, front row second from left, poses with Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong, front row third from left, and other dignitaries during the 2021 Korea-Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Digital Cooperation Forum at Lotte Hotel Seoul, March 17. The forum was co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Science and ICT. Yonhap
He visited Korea from March 15 to 19, upon an invitation to attend the 2021 Korea-Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Digital Cooperation Forum.
Co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Science and ICT, the forum was held both online and offline from March 17 to 18.
Solano was one of the four LAC ministers, including others from Brazil, Colombia and Guatemala, to participate in person.
The meeting focused on co-prosperity by linking Korea's Digital New Deal with the LAC countries' relevant initiatives.
Together with the Green New Deal, the Digital New Deal forms one of the two pillars of the Korean New Deal introduced by President Moon in 2020 to accelerate digitization of society and a carbon-free economy by 2050.
Other topics discussed were cooperation on 5G wireless technology, cybersecurity and technology for smart cities and smart farming.
Referring to social distancing and heavier reliance on digital technology, Solano said digitization will underpin economic recovery after the pandemic.
“With Korea as a leader in the digital arena, digital economy is an opportunity to bring us closer toward each other and to create a new momentum,” the foreign minister said.
On the carbon-free economy, Solano noted Costa Rica is striving to become the first Central American country to go carbon neutral by 2050 under the National Decarbonization Plan.
“The Korean New Deal is how to get a perfect marriage between technology and a green, decarbonized economy. And this is a very good example of how the green initiatives of the two countries can work together,” he said.
He went on to say Costa Rica is thankful to Korea for making it possible for the former to become the 38th OECD nation.
The foreign minister viewed regional integration systems, such as SICA and ASEAN, is “a natural door to approach to enhance the Latin American presence in the Asia-Pacific.”
“So if we can link the Central American and the Caribbean countries, it is a very good opportunity to promote trade commerce, investment and other areas. And of course, Korea will be a special friend and a strategic partner in the region,” Solano said.
As part of the Korea-Central America Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Korea and Costa Rica signed and ratified their own bilateral FTA in 2019.
Among the major Korean export item are vehicles and vehicle parts, while coffee and medical devices are mainly sold from the Costa Rican side. Such trade altogether amounted to $344 million in 2019.
In 2020, Korea was officially incorporated as a new extra-regional member of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), a regional entity tasked with promoting economic integration and balanced development in the region.
Korea has more room to expand investment, according to the foreign minister, noting Costa Rica is situated in the middle of the Americas, connecting the Pacific and the Caribbean and making the country “a strategic hub” in logistics.
“To be closer to big markets, you can seriously consider opening operations in Costa Rica, especially considering how logistics can affect the industries in the pandemic era,” Solano said.
He served as the vice minister of public transportation briefly before becoming the foreign minister in February 2020.
Korea and Costa Rica will celebrate their 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2021.
The latter will mark its 200th anniversary of independence this year.