BCC news and upcoming events

But from the Embassy, we know that the relations between Costa Rica and Colombia are not limited to the commercial sphere. Having created ties of brotherhood under a robust institutional framework, I see three major areas that will further consolidate our ties. In terms of foreign policy, without a doubt, the fight against climate change and the strengthening of our tropical marine corridor in the Pacific, which has given rise to the creation of the largest cross-border marine reserve in the world, will continue to be common goals. Also, we share robust south-south cooperation, with increasingly sophisticated projects, on issues such as sustainable development and management of natural reserves and archives.

I conclude by extending a warm thank you to the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce for allowing me to be part of this outstanding publication, becoming a fundamental ally of Costa Rica, and sharing a personal note. Colombia will always keep a special place in me, not only because of its warm welcome and professional growth but also because it has given me a space to connect with its powerful vital energy, which has become a catalyst for my inner searches. I have been fundamentally changed by encountering such diverse ways of thinking and conceiving the world, as well as the resilience of Colombian men and women to smile and achieve peace.

H.E. Max Valverde Ambassador of Costa Rica to Colombia

2. Good news about Colombia

Good news about Colombia

• The National Government announced the resumption of peace talks with the ELN starting in November. In these meaningful negotiations, Cuba, Norway, and Venezuela will serve as guarantor countries and will be accompanied by a UN Verification Mission and the Catholic Church. For more information, see the following link.

• On September 26, the border between Colombia and Venezuela was reopened, thus initiating a process of reactivation of binational trade, after three years in which transit was suspended. It is important to remember that between 2007 and 2008, the neighboring country became Colombia's leading trading partner, registering an exchange of nearly US$7,000 million. For more information, see the following link.

• Within the framework of the Congress of Confecamaras, an institution that brings together all the chambers of commerce in Colombia, which took place on September 9, the President of the Republic, Gustavo Petro, highlighted the importance of the chamber system in the country for the development of strategies that improve the conditions of MSMEs. In this same scenario, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, represented