SAN JOSE, June 10 (Xinhua) -- Costa Rica's friendly ties with China have been a boon to both nations, Costa Rican Foreign Minister Manuel Tovar has said.

The minister made the remarks Tuesday at a reception at the Chinese Embassy in Costa Rica to mark the 19th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Costa Rica.

Tovar noted that Costa Rica was the first country in Central America to establish diplomatic relations with China in the new century.

Costa Rica's free trade agreement with China has helped the country diversify exports and expand access to the Chinese market, Tovar said.

"There is still work to be done to unlock the potential of this economic relationship and take advantage of greater spaces for collaboration. And this is what we are going to be working on with our counterparts in China," the minister said.

"We also look forward to the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with the expectation of continuing to work on a relationship of understanding between our peoples, of mutual benefit and mutual respect," he added.

Chinese Ambassador to Costa Rica Wang Xiaoyao said that over the past 19 years, the friendship between the two countries has been continuously deepened and cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful results.

China is ready to continue strengthening political mutual trust with Costa Rica, deepen cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, education, health, scientific and technological innovation and clean energy, and bring more benefits to the two peoples, the ambassador added.