Central to the discussion was Costa Rica’s 1949 decision to abolish its standing army. By redirecting defense expenditures toward public education and academic development, the nation established one of the world's most stable democracies. The Ambassador emphasized that modern international influence depends on a country’s ability to project democratic values and inspire trust rather than relying on coercion or economic strength.

The presentation also highlighted Costa Rica’s commitment to environmental sustainability, noting its recent recognition as the most biodiverse country in the world. Despite its small geographical size, the nation contains approximately 6.5% of global biodiversity. Since the 1970s, Costa Rica has successfully doubled its forest cover while simultaneously expanding its national economy fivefold, challenging traditional paradigms of industrialization.

Furthermore, the Ambassador described the "Pura Vida" philosophy as a cultural foundation for both national identity and foreign policy. This ethos of harmony with nature informs a "boutique" tourism model that prioritizes environmental protection over mass industry. High environmental taxes and strict regulations are utilized to fund the maintenance of protected areas, which now cover one-third of the national territory.

In conclusion, the forum illustrated that cultural diplomacy serves as a vital bridge between national values and international relationships. By promoting human rights, inclusion, and sustainability, Costa Rica demonstrates how a small nation can exert significant influence on the global stage. Ultimately, the Ambassador argued that dialogue and education remain the most effective tools for resolving international crises and building a cohesive global community.

Forum on Cultural Diplomacy in the European Union

Potsdam, Germany | 18–19 June 2026

"First of all, thank you all for being here. Finally, we're through all those different details, but it's going to be a very lovely opportunity to get to know each other and promote cultural diplomacy as well.

From my perspective, it is not only my honor to welcome you all, dear guests and Your Excellencies, but also an opportunity to identify the major interests and goals that we all share.

Given the situation our world is facing today, we are confronted little by little, minute by minute, day by day, with geopolitical tensions, social polarization, misinformation, digital fragmentation, and growing pressure on democratic institutions all over the world.

Today, I would like to share some reflections, some thoughts, and interact with you about these issues.

Yes, we are interconnected, but a very important part of that connection is culture.

Traditional diplomacy remains important. Very important. However, it is often not enough to create a lasting understanding between societies. We need to do much more.

Increasingly, international influence depends not only on the economic strength of nations or on military capabilities, but also on the ability to generate trust. We need to build credibility, legitimacy, mutual understanding, and respect.

This is precisely where cultural diplomacy becomes particularly relevant.

At its core, cultural diplomacy is the ability to build bridges through culture, knowledge, education, values, and human exchange, just as we are doing today.

It creates opportunities for dialogue, especially when political channels become difficult. It helps societies connect beyond governments and institutions.

This concept is closely related to what Professor Joseph Nye described as soft power—the ability to influence others through attraction rather than coercion.

In the twenty-first century, countries increasingly compete not only through what they possess, but through what they represent.

Culture, education, science, innovation, democratic values, and international credibility have all become strategic assets.

The most influential nations today are not necessarily those with the largest armies or the strongest economies, but those capable of inspiring trust and projecting values.

Germany offers a very interesting perspective on this issue.

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has repeatedly emphasized that culture is not merely an accessory to foreign policy, but rather a pillar of democracy itself.

This vision is reflected in several key principles:

artistic freedom,

cultural autonomy,

historical memory,

social cohesion,

and long-term exchange.

We need to build long-term relationships rather than occasional ones.

Institutions such as the Goethe-Institut enjoy significant independence and credibility, while universities, artists, scientists, and cultural organizations contribute to building relationships that often outlast political cycles.

More broadly, the European approach emphasizes shared heritage, intercultural dialogue, cultural diversity, and peaceful cooperation.

In this sense, culture is viewed not simply as a cultural asset, but as part of the democratic infrastructure of society.

This is largely the German and European perspective.

However, there are also other perspectives around the world.

Europe emphasizes dialogue and shared heritage.

The United States traditionally projects influence through innovation, entrepreneurship, technology, higher education, and its creative industries.

Latin America—and Costa Rica in particular—places greater emphasis on identity, diversity, heritage, preservation, regional integration, and social inclusion.

Latin America is a vast region, and although every country is different, we share many common foundations that connect us in meaningful ways.

Although these approaches differ, whether European, German, Latin American, or American, they all ultimately seek the same objective:

to foster understanding, inclusion, and cooperation.

Costa Rica offers an interesting example within this global conversation.

Our country has never relied on military power.

As many of you know, Costa Rica has no army.

We learned important lessons after the Second World War.

We do not build on blood.

We build on our rivers and our canyons.

We talk.

We engage in dialogue.

We promote culture.

Since 1949, Costa Rica has been one of the world's longest-standing stable democracies.

We have never relied on military power nor projected international influence through military means.

Instead, Costa Rica has built its international reputation on a different strategic asset:

our credibility.

How do we build credibility?

That is the fundamental question, and it is precisely why we are here today.

Costa Rican diplomacy is based on four fundamental pillars:

Peace.

Democracy.

Education.

Sustainability.

Peace is essential for everyone.

Democracy is a value that we seek to promote every single day.

Education is indispensable because it enables participation in the international system and meaningful interaction with other nations.

Finally, sustainability is equally important.

We must protect our natural resources, not only our forests, but also our oceans.

Costa Rica has a responsibility to contribute to the protection of the world's oceans.

About two years ago, Costa Rica joined a global initiative together with many partner countries dedicated to protecting water resources.

Today, around forty-five to forty-eight countries participate in this initiative.

Only around four percent of the world's water is drinkable, and protecting that resource has become one of our priorities, as has sustainable energy.

As you may know, Costa Rica is a very small country. I don't know how many of you have already visited Costa Rica.

I know you have.

Costa Rica is a tiny country. In fact, we are known as "Ticos." T-I-C-O-S.

I don't know whether you have heard that word before.

Ticos is a very special term for us. We are a small country—actually even smaller than many people imagine.

Yet that identity has become recognized around the world.

Why?

Because we are eager not only to promote our country but also to protect its natural resources.

Nowadays we understand that, although we are not even half the size of Bavaria, we are blessed with approximately 6.5% of the world's biodiversity.

To put that into perspective, the Amazon region is many times larger than Costa Rica, yet Costa Rica alone contains around 6.5% of global biodiversity.

Just this week, Costa Rica was recognized by the United Nations as the most biodiverse country in the world.

Because of that, we have a responsibility.

We have extraordinary natural resources, but we also have the obligation to protect them.

We depend not only on water but also on decarbonization and renewable sources of energy.

We do not want to exploit our gold.

We do not want to destroy our forests.

Speaking about forests, Costa Rica experienced a major environmental disaster during the 1930s, the 1940s, the 1950s, and even into the 1970s.

Our forests were devastated.

We destroyed much of our own country.

At that time, we were eager to export timber because Costa Rican wood was highly valued internationally.

However, another important factor was taking place simultaneously.

Since 1949, because we had no military, we redirected those resources toward education.

Those two decisions together produced remarkable results.

Without military expenditures, we invested in schools, universities, and academic development.

We established free public education, extending all the way to higher education.

We encourage our citizens to pursue one, two, or even three university degrees.

We strive to educate far more people than our country's size would normally suggest.

We are only about five million people.

Our population is roughly comparable to that of Berlin.

Yet we need to produce many more professionals than our size might indicate because we are a developing nation committed to education.

As education expanded, Costa Rica reached an important conclusion.

We could no longer continue destroying our forests.

During the 1970s, the country adopted new legislation to regulate forestry protection.

Our forests became one of our greatest national symbols and one of our strongest national brands.

Costa Rica decided to designate one-third of the entire national territory as protected national parks.

One-third of the country.

The traditional idea had always been that forests must be cleared in order to industrialize and achieve economic growth.

Costa Rica challenged that paradigm.

In fact, we became the only country in the world to significantly increase forest cover while simultaneously multiplying our Gross National Product several times over.

Between the 1970s and today, we have doubled our forest coverage while increasing our national economy approximately fivefold.

That has made an enormous difference.

At the same time, Costa Rica also became one of the pioneers of ecotourism during the 1980s.

We built our development model on ecotourism—not on mass tourism.

That entire approach is ultimately connected to protecting nature, preserving biodiversity, and promoting peace with nature itself.

That is where our philosophy leads us.

There is a famous Costa Rican expression:

Pura Vida.

Pura Vida literally means "Pure Life."

Originally, it referred to nature.

Today, however, Pura Vida has become much more than a simple phrase.

It represents an entire philosophy of life.

If I wanted to explain every meaning behind Pura Vida, we would probably spend the whole day discussing it.

If you speak Spanish, you can use Pura Vida almost everywhere.

You can say it as a greeting in the morning.

You can say it at night.

You can say it to celebrate something.

You can use it on almost any occasion.

Pura Vida means appreciating what you have, making the best of your opportunities, and preparing yourself for tomorrow.

It represents optimism.

It represents gratitude.

It represents hope.

It is an entire philosophy.

Perhaps it has become the best-known symbol of Costa Rica around the world.

The moment you arrive in Costa Rica, you will immediately encounter the expression Pura Vida everywhere.

Everyone who owns a shirt that says Pura Vida has almost certainly visited Costa Rica.

It is much more than a tourism slogan.

It represents a cultural philosophy centered on optimism, coexistence, well-being, and respect for both people and nature.

That philosophy has been one of the foundations of our country's success.

It is based on respecting where we come from while living in harmony with nature.

That is the essence of Costa Rica.

Cultural diplomacy in Costa Rica promotes human rights.

Diversity is one of our priorities.

So are inclusion, freedom of expression, civic participation, academic exchange, trust—trust and more trust—social cohesion, and sustainable development.

Institutions such as this one, as well as universities, play a fundamental role in that effort.

Through these institutions we promote knowledge, innovation, vision, scientific cooperation, and long-term international partnerships.

We also work together with artists, researchers, cultural institutions, and universities.

These institutions help transform dialogue into cooperation.

They transform ideas into shared solutions.

Since we are running out of time, let me move toward my conclusion.

As we have discussed, Germany and Europe place a strong emphasis on heritage.

Culture is viewed as a strategic instrument.

In Costa Rica, we also believe that cultural diplomacy has strategic importance.

It allows us to build trust, strengthen democratic values, support sustainable development, and foster international cooperation.

Costa Rica demonstrates how culture can project peace, sustainability, human rights, and credibility.

Not simply by creating legal frameworks, but by putting these principles into practice every day.

By respecting them.

By promoting them.

When we compare the different visions of Europe, Germany, Latin America, and the United States regarding cultural diplomacy, we should not see them as competing approaches.

Rather, they are complementary.

We live in a fragmented world.

However, cultural diplomacy remains one of the few instruments capable of transforming national identity into global dialogue and creating lasting understanding between societies.

Countries today are no longer judged solely by the size of their economies or the strength of their military power.

Increasingly, they are judged by their ability to inspire others through their values and to project trust.

Values must be promoted consistently, every single day, through long-term strategic action.

Allow me to conclude with one final thought.

For me, cultural diplomacy is the bridge between values and international influence.

It is the bridge between values and international relationships.

Thank you.

[Applause]

Moderator:

Thank you very much, Your Excellency.

We are running behind schedule, but I would be very happy to take one or two brief questions or comments.

As always, please raise your hand and briefly introduce yourself so we know your name and where you are from.

We have a very diverse audience.

Ladies first.

Audience Member:

Thank you, Ambassador, for your talk.

I find Costa Rica's commitment to peace and sustainability incredibly inspiring.

One aspect that I find particularly interesting is the country's decision not to maintain a military.

I have often heard the argument that this model cannot be replicated elsewhere because Costa Rica is such a small country.

I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on that.

Do you believe other countries can learn from Costa Rica's example of demilitarization?

Speaker:

Before speaking about demilitarization, I would rather speak about education.

We need to promote respect.

We need to encourage people to know one another better.

We need dialogue.

We need understanding.

We need to understand where we come from and where we want to go.

We need to work together on solutions.

We must prioritize those common ideals.

As long as societies focus only on confrontation, conflict becomes difficult to avoid.

If someone is determined to fight, how do you stop them?

Even today we see countries that are rebuilding their military capabilities because others continue promoting conflict instead of peace.

Ultimately, everything comes back to dialogue.

To returning to the negotiating table.

To promoting peace agreements.

Thank you.

Moderator:

Thank you.

Next question.

Audience Member (India):

Good morning, Ambassador.

My name is Sep.

I'm a Master's student here at the ICD, and I'm from India.

First of all, thank you for your excellent presentation.

I also appreciated the fact that you greeted everyone personally this morning before the event started.

I think that was a wonderful gesture and a valuable lesson for all of us.

My question concerns tourism.

While listening to your presentation, I briefly searched some information and found that tourism contributes roughly ten to twelve percent of Costa Rica's GDP.

You explained the philosophy of Pura Vida, which I think is an excellent way of promoting sustainability.

However, how does this philosophy influence Costa Rica's tourism policies?

Costa Rica attracts a very large number of tourists.

How do you ensure that this tourism remains sustainable?

Speaker:

Excellent question.

Costa Rica is, as I mentioned, a very small country.

If we received only a few hundred thousand tourists every year, that would not be a problem.

Today, however, we receive approximately two million visitors annually.

Our tourism model is based on boutique tourism rather than mass tourism.

For example, we work very closely with the German market.

German visitors usually stay for twenty-one or even twenty-three days on average.

They spend their holidays with their families, enjoying nature in the Caribbean, along the Pacific coast, or around our volcanoes.

Costa Rica has nine volcanoes.

Because of our peaceful tradition, our natural environment, and many other characteristics, people often describe Costa Rica as the "Switzerland of Latin America."

Our objective is quality tourism rather than quantity.

It is true that Costa Rica is considered one of the most expensive countries in Latin America.

That is partly because we tax many activities in order to finance the protection of our natural reserves.

Maintaining those protected areas requires substantial investment.

Those natural resources belong to all of us, and we have the responsibility to preserve them.

For that reason, environmental protection remains our highest priority.

We also regulate access carefully.

Not because we want to exclude visitors, but because we want people who genuinely appreciate and respect what Costa Rica represents.

We want visitors who understand our commitment to conservation.

For example, we promote experiences such as luxury camping in nature rather than massive hotel developments.

We are not interested in building endless highways or large-scale tourism infrastructure.

In fact, our infrastructure still faces many challenges.

But that reflects our priorities.

Rather than pursuing mass tourism, we prefer to protect our natural resources.

Everything ultimately returns to one central principle:

Sustainability.

Moderator:

Thank you.

Let's express our sincere gratitude to His Excellency."

• https://www.culturaldiplomacy.org/index.php?en