Pacheco and Fox
Meet Prior to Summit
By Scott J. Krischke
Tico Times Staff
editorial@ticotimes.net

Mexican President Vicente Fox and Costa Rican President Abel Pacheco stressed international trade agreements, education and energy as important to regional development yesterday following a meeting in San José before the two left for the weekend Summit of the Americas in Mar de Plata, Argentina.

“We have understood clearly… that we must work to establish a goal of economic growth in order to reduce poverty and increase (international) investment,” Fox said.

Fox emphasized the importance of the free-trade agreement signed 10 years ago between Costa Rica and Mexico as a driving force in the economic growth between the two countries over the last decade; the two leaders pledged to work to further the involvement of small and medium businesses in international exchange.

High energy prices were also a central theme of the discussion, in order “to deal with these high current prices of energy, the scarcity of energy and to make sure that energy isn't something that hinders our growth,” Fox said. Mexico is entering the second phase of a project to modernize a Costa Rican oil refinery in Puerto Moín de Limón, on the Caribbean coast.

Oil wasn't the only energy source discussed in the meeting.

“(Mexico has) been very helpful to Costa Rica so that we can achieve an improved production of clean energy, including aeolic and geothermic energy… sources that are interesting to both of us as they are inexhaustible,” Pacheco said.

The two leaders have also committed themselves to mutual goals of increasing the availability of education and the Internet in their respective countries.

Fox, who arrived Wednesday night for his 20-hour visit, told reporters that the two countries have a goal of creating new communication centers where citizens are able to access computers and the Internet, and even take classes and training courses.

Following the brief meeting, Pacheco and Fox left to Argentina to attend the summit of the Americas this weekend, where employment and the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) will be discussed.

Both Presidents have expressed supported for the FTAA.