1. Minister for Trade Bark Tae-ho met with Anabel Gonzalez Campabadal, Costa Rica’s Minister of Foreign Trade, in Seoul on August 21.

2. In the meeting, the two sides noted with appreciation the bilateral relations in the overall economic field, including investment and trade. In addition, they exchanged views on other matters of mutual concern, including a ROK-Central America FTA, Costa Rica’s accession to the OECD and the negotiations over the WTO Doha Development Agenda.

° With regard to the work on a FTA between the Republic of Korea and five Central American countries, – Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador – in particular, the two sides agreed to discuss ways to move it forward by holding working-level consultations.

3. The ROK side extended appreciation to Costa Rica for its contribution to the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)’s transition into an international organization as its founding member. The two sides agreed to work closely together in evolving the GGGI into a full-fledged international organization.

                          Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFAT

* unofficial translation