San Jose: Ambassador of India to Panama, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, Sumit Seth on Friday presented his credentials to the Costa Rica President Rodrigo Chaves after former was appointed to the post last year.

Last year in October, Sumit Seth, an Indian Foreign Service officer of the 2005 batch was concurrently accredited as India's Ambassador to Costa Rica, as per a release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

"Dr. Sumit Seth (IFS:2005), presently Ambassador of India to the Republic of Panama, has been concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Costa Rica with residence in Panama," the MEA said.

India and Costa Rica enjoy cordial and warm relations, which are being strengthened by the growing commercial engagement between the two countries. Following India's appointment of an Honorary Consul in San Jose in 1995, Costa Rica reciprocated by opening an Honorary Consulate in New Delhi in 1996. Costa Rica opened its Embassy in New Delhi in April 2010. The Indian Embassy in Panama is concurrently accredited to Costa Rica, according to the MEA official document.

The first Foreign Office Consultations between India and Costa Rica were held in August 2012 in Costa Rica and the next round was held on March 16, 2015 in New Delhi.

India's assistance to Costa Rica includes the donation of photovoltaic equipment worth ₹1.85 million in 1997 for setting up a solar energy research laboratory for training purposes at the University of Heredia under the ITEC program, donation of a telephone exchange to Costa Rica's telecom operator ICE in 1998, and a relief assistance of USD 25,000 to help rehabilitate flood victims in 1996.

India also donated 18 Bajaj 3-wheelers in December 2005 to be used by the police department of San Jose. India donated USD 1,00,000 for the relief and rehabilitation of victims of Hurricane Tomas in November 2010, according to the ministry's old document.

An MoU for the setting up of a Centre of Excellence in Information Technology (CEIT) in Costa Rica was signed in September 2009. The government of India signed agreements with C-DAC and APTECH in March 2015 for setting up the Centre in Costa Rica in the National Technical University of Costa Rica, Alajuela.

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