The President of Costa Rica was a guest of President Shimon Peres on Sunday at the latter's house in Jerusalem. At a ceremony welcoming Oscar Arias Sanchez to the Presidential House, Pres said that 10,000 Israelis visit Costa Rica each year "and this is a wonderful opportunity for us to thank your country for your long standing friendship with Israel."

Sanchez thanked Peres for hosting him, saying that he was honored to be in Jerusalem and that he hoped future visitors would be able to look upon the current conflict as a thing of the past.