Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien held a telephone conversation with the Minister of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica on accession to the CPTPP

During the call, Minister Manuel Tovar Rivera expressed his appreciation for Viet Nam and for Minister Nguyễn Hồng Diên personally. He recalled his previous visit to Hanoi, during which he delivered Costa Rica’s official letter recognizing Viet Nam as a market economy. He highly valued Viet Nam’s proactive role and constructive efforts in promoting international economic integration, and affirmed Costa Rica’s commitment to closely coordinating with partners to achieve both bilateral and multilateral agreements.

Minister Nguyễn Hồng Diên reaffirmed Viet Nam’s support for Costa Rica’s early completion of negotiations to join the CPTPP, while acknowledging Costa Rica’s continuous efforts throughout the process. He emphasized that Viet Nam stands ready to engage in discussions, cooperate, and seek practical solutions to outstanding issues, ensuring that Costa Rica’s accession proceeds smoothly and effectively. He also highlighted the importance of maintaining transparent and substantive dialogue to enhance mutual understanding and strengthen trust between the two sides.

The two Ministers discussed and agreed on the need to continue addressing the remaining negotiation issues, while coordinating closely, flexibly, and pragmatically to ensure the effective implementation of subsequent steps. Minister Manuel Tovar Rivera noted that the CPTPP is a high-standard agreement that requires significant effort during negotiations, and reiterated that joining the CPTPP has been one of Costa Rica’s highest priorities in the recent time. In response, Minister Nguyễn Hồng Diên acknowledged the challenges faced by Costa Rica in the accession process, but emphasized that CPTPP membership would bring substantial and long-term benefits.

During the exchange, Minister Nguyễn Hồng Diên underscored the importance of the friendly relationship between Viet Nam and Costa Rica—one that extends beyond trade and contributes to building trust and establishing a solid foundation for sustainable economic cooperation. Minister Manuel Tovar Rivera affirmed Costa Rica’s willingness to serve as a bridge, fostering understanding and strengthening relations between Viet Nam and countries in the Central American region, particularly in advancing the recognition of Viet Nam as a market economy.

This phone conversation once again reaffirmed the commitment of both Viet Nam and Costa Rica to promoting economic–trade cooperation and demonstrated the political goodwill and substantive cooperative spirit between the two sides, paving the way for concrete outcomes within the CPTPP framework and in future multilateral cooperation activities.

Source: Multilateral Trade Policy Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade