Costa Rica’s top diplomat in Qatar is keen to forge stronger relations with Qatar as both nations prepare for the new normal following the gradual opening of most economies and the drop in covid-19 cases worldwide.
“Our goal is that diplomatic and commercial relations between Costa Rica and Qatar are strengthened in the new normal; for that we expect a more intense promotion of our products in Qatar in order to improve our trade balance and promoting greater investment by Qatar in Costa Rica,” ambassador Alvaro Mariano Segura Avila told Gulf Times.
Qatar has gradually eased lockdown restrictions under strict compliance with the directives issued by the Ministry of Public Health. By September, Qatar is expected to fully open the economy, it was announced earlier.
Avila said Costa Rican companies based in Qatar are prioritising health and safety-related changes and adjustments to assure that business operations will be back to normal.
“For Costa Rican companies with expectations of doing business with Qatar, it is very important to focus efforts on establishing health certificates and ensuring that the products that are exported to Qatar and other destinations, reflect the health and quality conditions that prevail in Costa Rica.
“Likewise, choosing production processes and commercial routes that would reduce to the maximum the spread of the contagion to people who handle these products and the target market,” Avila pointed out.
Asked what initiatives should Costa Rican companies focus on under the new normal in terms of technology and innovation, the ambassador said Costa Rica has global competitive advantages in the production of medical and high-tech components.
“This can be very attractive to the world, in general, in these times when health prevention is so important. In the same way, there are immunology research centres and the creation of antidotes, whose products can be in great demand worldwide,” Avila said.
The ambassador also stressed that the embassy has put in place initiatives to help Costa Rican companies meet various operational objectives in the pipeline.
“In general, the policy of promoting products and services in Costa Rica aims to create a more favourable environment worldwide for the demand for these types of products, especially considering that the effects of this pandemic are devastating for the world.
“It is important to clarify that this experience has been valuable in focusing on future efforts, such as preventive medicine and improving the response capacity of hospital care. This will allow the world to offer medical products and hospital care services in which the country can be competitive. From this perspective, our embassy will play an important role in the regional promotion of these types of products and services,” he said.
