China's Special Representative for Latin American Issues Yin Hengmin voiced China's support to practical cooperation among the 36 member countries of the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC), said a press release from the Chinese delegation on Aug 22.

Yin participated in the forum's 7th Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Costa Rica on Aug 21, which was also attended by the President of Costa Rica, Luis Guillermo Solis.

Yin said that the international community is experiencing deep and complex transformations, and that East Asia and Latin America are strengthening their will to collaborate at the mean time.

China has always attached great importance to FEALAC, offering its contribution to promote the Forum's development and the beneficial cooperation of both regions, said Yin.

He invited the participants to carry forward practical cooperation to increase investment in poverty reduction, improve disaster management, ameliorate treatment of diseases and protect the environment.

Yin was hopeful that the reforms would lead to more projects being carried out in two years before next meeting in South Korea, which would set a more solid base for the forum's future.

All members should promote practical coordination to create more favorable conditions for trade and investment, said Yin, adding that China supports the institutionalization of the FEALAC's Trade Forum and discussions about creating a special group of experts for trans-regional trade.

"Looking to the long term development of the forum, the Chinese side supports the elaboration of a New FEALAC Plan of Action in an effort to contribute to the strategic planning of the Forum's future," Yin said.

Latin American and East Asian countries, united by the Pacific Ocean, have a "great aspiration" for integration, said Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solis when inaugurating FEALAC 7th Foreign Minister's Meeting in Escazu, a suburb of San Jose.

The region, covered by FEALAC, is important as it makes up a third of the world's area, 40 percent of the world's population, 33 percent of the volume of the world's trade and 35 percent of the world's Gross Domestic Product, Solis said.

"For Costa Rica, the ministerial meeting is of particular importance as we identify with the bi-regional objectives and want them to come to fruition," Solis said.

This is the first time the meeting is being held in Central America.

"I hope this forum will be productive and a step forward to generate mutual agreements and projects between all the countries involved in FEALAC," said Thailand's permanent secretary for the Foreign Affairs Ministry Norachit Sinhaseni at the inauguration, who co-chaired the meeting with Solis.

Thailand and Costa Rica have been sharing the presidency of FEALAC since 2013.

The forum attracted ministers, deputy ministers and delegates from 35 countries in East Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. The representatives also talked in plenary sessions to approve projects and agreements presented during the previous two days' workshop.