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U.S.
Pledges Strong Support for Costa
Rica
The United States values its
relationship with Costa Rica and
reaffirmed its strong support
for the country at the May 8
inauguration of President Oscar
Arias, according to U.S. first
lady Laura Bush.
The first lady led the U.S. delegation to his inauguration.
“Today I had the opportunity to
convey to President Arias the
United States' strong support
and partnership with Costa
Rica,” she said. “We have a
history of a long friendship,
and I'm very, very happy to have
been the one to get to give him
the very best wishes of the
American people.”
In an interview with Channel 7
news Telenoticias, the first
lady cited the values shared by
the United States and Costa
Rica.
“The relationship between the
United States and Costa Rica is
very important; it's very
important to the United States,”
she said. “We respect the
country of Costa Rica for its
long democracy, its emphasis on
education, and other values that
are important to us, as well, in
the United States.”
In subsequent remarks as she
prepared to depart from the
country, the first lady added
that Costa Rica continues to
serve as a model of the benefits
of democracy.
“Costa Rica is still a democracy
that's an example for the
world,” she said. “Costa Rica's
democracy shows every country
that if you have strong
democratic institutions, it
leads to the best for the people
of that country.”
Apart from a common commitment
to democracy and education, the
United States and Costa Rica are
also partners in the
U.S.-Dominican Republic-Central
American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR),
an agreement Laura Bush lauded
in her comments to Channel 7.
The agreement is known locally
as the Tratado Libre de Comercio
(TLC) and is facing strong
opposition for its passage.
Costa Rica is the only signatory
country that has yet to ratify
the agreement while it is
already in place in other
countries.
Former president Abel Pacheco
sent the trade deal to the
Legislative Assembly late last
year and is still in the
commission stage. The new
government of Oscar Arias
expects the bill to reach the
Legislative floor and win
approval within the next couple
of months.
“I think it's a good agreement
for all of us,” she said. “I
think it's an agreement that
will bring us closer together,
that will give all of us - each
of the countries - a chance to
strengthen our economies to
alleviate poverty.”
The first lady recalled that the
Bush administration worked hard
to ratify CAFTA-DR in the United
States, and she said she hopes
Costa Rica will ratify the pact
as well. At the same time, she
stressed that the decision is up
to Costa Ricans.
“Of course we hope Costa Rica
will join it,” she said, “but
that is a Costa Rican decision,
and so we'll see.”
Click here fo the transcript of
the U.S. first lady's May 8
television interview in Costa
Rica
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