The new Costa Rican ambassador to Japan, Alvaro Antonio Cedeno Molinari, said his mission here is to raise awareness of investment opportunities in renewable energy.
He also wants to attract more Japanese tourists to Costa Rica — a country with a rich variety of bird species, rain forests and kayaking spots that make it a prime ecotourism destination.
In a courtesy call Wednesday to The Japan Times, Cedeno Molinari stressed that diplomacy in the next few decades "should focus on green economy, sustainable development, happiness and prosperity."
He emphasized that Costa Rica "generates 95 percent of its electricity from renewable, clean and safe resources."
Cedeno Molinari, 36, also said although 50 percent of the nation's gross domestic product is related to tourism, only a small number who visit hail from Japan.
He also said he would push for a free-trade pact with Japan.
