Costa Rica today became the first country to move its embassy back to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. Israel regards this as a major diplomatic breakthrough and believes other countries will also return their embassies to Jerusalem.
Costa Rica’s new president Luis Alberto Monge pledged to return his country’s embassy to Israel’s capital during his election campaign. Agricultural attache Carlos Delgaoda-Hand told reporters here that the decision was an expression of deep friendship between the countries.
Costa Rica and 12 other countries, mostly Latin American, transferred their embassies from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv in compliance with a United Nations Security Council resolution after Israel passed a law in 1981 declaring united Jerusalem to be Israel’s capital.
The ceremony today marking the return of Costa Rica’s embassy to Jerusalem was law keyed. The Costa Rican flag was raised over the Ambassador’s residence but the ceremony was attended only by the Deputy Ambassador and representatives of the Foreign Ministry. The new embassy is located in the Katamon district, in the building that had housed the embassy of the Dominican Republic.
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