Panama and Costa Rica: open border

The leaders of Panama and Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla and Ricardo Martinelli, respectively, last week signed a bilateral agreement, which removes the requirement for passports at the border to move from one country to another.

Now, a citizen of either country, need only present his or her identification card.

During the official ceremony, held in the city of David, Panama, both presidents emphasized the strong relationship of trust enjoyed by both nations, along with their demilitarized border, "the most free and democratic in the world."

He also stressed the importance of trade between the two countries, which was valued at about 1 billion dollars in 2012.