Costa Rica – Meeting between the Minister and her Costa Rican counterpart, Arnoldo André Tinoco (Mar. 24, 2023)

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna met today with Arnoldo André Tinoco, Costa Rica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship.

Their meeting was organized in conjunction with the Costa Rican President’s visit to France, where he was received today by President Macron.

As we mark the 175th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and Costa Rica, Ms. Colonna and her counterpart discussed the joint organization of the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3), which we will host in Nice in 2025, and which we will co-chair with Costa Rica. Costa Rica will host a meeting ahead of that event, in 2024. Our joint commitment to protecting the oceans is a key aspect of our bilateral relationship. The minister and her counterpart emphasized that our two countries see eye to eye on providing a more ambitious collective response to global challenges, from preserving terrestrial and marine biodiversity to combating climate change.

The minister commended Costa Rica’s commitment to promoting the French language and culture, and noted our commitment to assisting Costa Rica with its decarbonization efforts. During her discussion with Dr. Tinoco, she also lauded Costa Rica’s support for the people of Ukraine.

Olivier Becht, Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade, Economic Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad, also met today with Manuel Tovar Rivera, Costa Rica’s Minister of Foreign Trade. During their discussion, Mr. Becht emphasized areas in which French companies enjoy expertise that could be of use to Costa Rica: the development of the rail and soft mobility sector, waste management and waste water treatment.

Malawi / Madagascar / Mozambique – French emergency relief for Mozambique and Malawi in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Freddy (Mar. 23, 2023)

France stands with the people and authorities of Malawi, Madagascar and Mozambique in the face of the damage caused by Tropical Cyclone Freddy, which resulted in hundreds of casualties. We offer our condolences to the victims’ families and assure the people and authorities of those countries of our friendship and solidarity at this difficult time.

In order to meet the most urgent needs and requests expressed by the authorities to assist them in their efforts, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs will provide the following relief to Mozambique and Malawi:

• In Mozambique, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs’ Crisis and Support Center will fund the shipment of emergency equipment and shelters, hygiene kits and mosquito nets through the French Red Cross and its Indian Ocean Regional Intervention Platform (PIROI) to meet the needs of thousands of families in the most heavily affected areas.
• In Malawi, we will provide financial support to the World Health Organization to help it deal with the worsening cholera crisis.