Costa Rica greeted Christian Wulff, the president of Germany, to a display of the best of San José’s cultural offerings Tuesday night.
After a brief meeting between Wulff and Costa Rica President Laura Chinchilla in the early evening, the Cultural Ministry lit up the downtown National Theater with an impressive light and firework show, which was set to the backdrop of music provided by the National Symphony and several dance and song performances.
“We feel that Germany and Costa Rica share many of the same core values and we are impressed with their commitment to renewable energy sources,” Wulff said. “We hope to continue to collaborate with Costa Rica more in the years to come to develop further strategies to develop wind and solar energies.”
While the bilateral meeting between the two countries served as the basis for the celebration, the Cultural Ministry used the occasion to unveil the new cherry red roof atop the National Theater that was partially financed by the German government. The roof of the National Theater was originally painted red for its inauguration in 1897, though painted green in 1996.
Prior to the cultural ceremony, President Laura Chinchilla and Wulff met at the National Theater in downtown and discussed renewable energy strategies and potential economic ventures between the two countries. Wulff said at a press conference that he was accompanied on his tour of Latin America by 15 German businesses interested in investing in Costa Rica. Wulff’s visit included a stop in Mexico before arriving in Costa Rica. He will follow Costa Rica with a trip to Brazil to conclude the week.
Wulff’s visit was the first time a German president visited Costa Rica since 1977.
