1. Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang, Kyung-wha spoke over the phone with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of the Republic of Costa Rica Rodolfo Solano on the morning of April 1 at the latter’s request, and exchanged views on cooperation between the two countries in responding to the COVID-19 outbreak.

2. Minister Solano said that the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) has recently decided to purchase Korean-made testing kits to supply them to its member countries in the region, and asked the Republic of Korea, which has outstanding capabilities for COVID-19 response, to share its experiences and provide Korean protective equipment to Costa Rica.

3. The two Ministers shared the concern over the global spread of COVID-19, and Minister Kang said that the ROK will continue consultations with Costa Rica on ways to support testing kits to the extent possible, considering the needs in the ROK.

4. In the phone conversation, the two Ministers agreed on the importance of cooperation between the two countries amid the global COVID-19 crisis, and agreed to continue close communication.