Costa Rica’s Chinchilla to travel to Colombia to pursue Pacific Alliance deal

Costa Rica’s President Laura Chinchilla will travel Wednesday to Cali, Colombia, to participate in the VII Summit of the Pacific Alliance and to seek approval to become a full member of the trade bloc.

Chinchilla will request that Costa Rica be included in an economic forum that includes Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile, whose officials will discuss acceptance of new members during this week’s summit.

In order to become a member, Costa Rica needs free trade agreements with members countries. On Wednesday, Chinchilla and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos will sign a bilateral trade agreement. The country already has trade treaties with the other countries of the alliance.

Chinchilla is scheduled to arrive on a commercial flight to the valley of Cauca, in western Colombia, Wednesday.

The Pacific Alliance was formally established on June 6, 2012, with the objective of promoting economic integration and enforcing social development among member countries.

During her South American tour Chinchilla also will attend the inauguration of re-elected President of Ecuador Rafael Correa.