After a process that took more than 760 days, the Government finally appointed Marcelo Varela as Costa Rica’s ambassador to Turkey.
This was confirmed by Chancellor Manuel González, who said that after a selection process they determined that Varela was the right person to hold the position since last December 1st, 2016.
The agreement was unanimously adopted by the Governing Council. Varela served as Deputy Ambassador Permanent Representative to the United Nations and international organizations based in Geneva, Switzerland.
Since the opening of the Costa Rican Embassy in Turkey, we have worked to build trust between the two countries, which is an important and necessary process in any diplomatic relationship. I have held several bilateral meetings with the Turkish Foreign Minister Mr. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and recently Turkey has accredited a new ambassador in Costa Rica,”
explained González.
The Chancellor added that Varela’s election will strengthen relations between the two countries after Turkey’s political situation, an attempted coup, conflicts in nearby areas such as Syria and Iraq and the unfortunate terrorist attacks.
In October 2013, Enrique Castillo, who was the Foreign Minister, announced the creation of the embassy in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, but it wasn’t opened until late 2014.
It is a relationship of great interest for Costa Rica, with a lot of potential. Turkey has shown great interest in our region, with an effective presence as an observer of the OAS, the Pacific Alliance and SICA. It is also an extra regional partner of CELAC and member of the OECD, so we look forward to the arrival of Ambassador Varela to that country and the work initiated by the new Ambassador of Turkey in Costa Rica,”
concluded González.