Costa Rica and El Salvador explore Luxembourg’s development cooperation model during institutional visit

From 12 to 14 October 2026, delegations from Costa Rica and El Salvador visited Luxembourg as part of the South-South and triangular cooperation projects implemented in both countries. The visit provided an opportunity for participants to gain a deeper understanding of Luxembourg's development cooperation model, with a particular focus on the role of LuxDev as the country's development cooperation agency.

The Costa Rican delegation included representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship and the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy. Their counterparts from El Salvador represented the Salvadoran Agency for International Cooperation and the Technical Secretariat for External Financing. The two delegations were accompanied by Frank WOLFF, LuxDev’s Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, and Cynthia LEON, Chief Technical Adviser for the COOPERA project.

Throughout the three-day programme, participants met with representatives from LuxDev, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity (MECB), the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), the Luxembourg House of Cybersecurity (LHC) and Appui au développement autonome (ADA). The agenda covered Luxembourg’s development cooperation model, project management, monitoring and evaluation, knowledge management, climate finance, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and further cooperation opportunities.

The visit helped deepen participants’ understanding of the respective priorities of El Salvador and Costa Rica and facilitated exchanges on challenges and issues of common interest.

A dedicated discussion on South-South and triangular cooperation allowed participants to reflect on potential areas for collaboration, knowledge sharing and joint initiatives. The dialogue highlighted both the opportunities and the limitations associated with these approaches, which are expected to remain on the agenda of future exchanges between the two countries and Luxembourg Cooperation.

The visit came at a particularly timely moment for the Costa Rican delegation as the country prepares for its forthcoming graduation to high-income status, explores the establishment of its own cooperation agency and seeks to strengthen its role as a provider of development cooperation. Participants reflected on the future of international cooperation and Costa Rica’s evolving position within it, and learned from Luxembourg’s experience in this area.

Presentations and meetings generated interest in several initiatives implemented by LuxDev, including the LuxAid BRIDGES project and private-sector support mechanisms such as the Business Partnership Facility. These exchanges prompted reflections on potential synergies and future collaboration opportunities.

Meetings with organisations such as the LIST, particularly in the fields of technology, data science and artificial intelligence, and the LHC, in the sector of cybersecurity, also enabled participants to identify possible areas for future cooperation.

The Costa Rican delegation also welcomed the presentation of the International Climate Finance Fund managed by Luxembourg’s MECB. Participants noted the potential of this mechanism to support continued cooperation between Luxembourg and Costa Rica beyond the currently envisaged graduation date of 1 January 2028, particularly through climate and environmental initiatives.

Participants expressed their appreciation for the chance to engage directly with Luxembourg's development cooperation ecosystem. The visit enabled them to gain a clearer understanding of Luxembourg's cooperation framework and of LuxDev’s mandate, governance and operational approaches. Delegation members particularly highlighted the Agency’s openness, partnership-based approach and willingness to share experiences and lessons learned.

In Costa Rica, the Support for South-South and triangular cooperation project is co-funded by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and Costa Rica, and jointly implemented by LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, and the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy.

In El Salvador, the Support for South-South and triangular cooperation project is co-funded by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and El Salvador, and jointly implemented by LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency, ESCO, the Salvadoran Agency for International Cooperation, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador.