Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno and Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul yesterday announced that their countries will resume diplomatic relations, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry.

The two ministers are both in Havana, Cuba, at a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). They met and discussed topics “of bilateral interest” including diplomatic relations and policies, commercial cooperation and investment, the statement said.

They also discussed plans to reopen embassies in both countries in the near future.

Stagno recently expressed interest in gradually increasing relations with moderate Arab nations following Costa Rica’s decision Aug. 16 to move its embassy from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv in compliance with U.N. resolutions (TT, Sept. 8).

Costa Rica and El Salvador were the last countries in the world with embassies in Jerusalem, a territory contested by Israel and Palestine; El Salvador also announced plans to with draw its embassy at the end of last month.

Stagno said resuming relations with Egypt will “allow for better political and diplomatic relations with the Arab and Islamic world in general, in addition to opening commercial opportunities with these markets.” Resumed relations with Egypt will also “speed up” plans to resume diplomatic relations with Jordan, he said. 

-Tico Times