President-elect Oscar Arias made his first international trip as the future leader of Costa Rica last weekend when he flew to Colombia to met with that country’s President, Alvaro Uribe, in Bogotá.
The two discussed free trade and agreed it is an engine for development in Latin America. Arias claimed Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly would ratify the controversial Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA) within six months, the daily Al Día reported.
Arias, who was President 1986-1990, will take office May 8.
He was accompanied by his future Foreign Affairs Minister, Bruno Stagno, and his future Foreign Trade Minister, Marco Vinicio Ruiz.
