Peru's President Ollanta Humala (R) talks with Costa Rica's President Laura Chinchilla during a meeting at the Government Palace in Lima, Peru, on May 13, 2013. During the meeting the leaders discussed bilateral and trade issues, according to local press. (Xinhua/ANDINA)

Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla met with her Peruvian counterpart Ollanta Humala Monday at the presidential palace in the Peruvian capital Lima, to strengthen ties between the two Latin American nations.

The two leaders discussed technical and scientific cooperation, and the Pacific Alliance regional trade bloc to which Peru belongs, along with Mexico, Chile and Colombia, and which Costa Rica hopes to join, according to a press release from Costa Rica's Foreign Relations Ministry.

"Peru will also be key in securing the invitation for Costa Rica to form part of the Pacific Alliance group, during its upcoming meeting in Colombia," Chinchilla said, describing her meeting with Humala as highly fruitful.

"Peru is one of the three fastest growing economic in the region," Chinchilla added, underscoring the importance of the Free Trade Agreement Costa Rica signed with the South American nation in May 2011. The accord is expected to go into effect during the second half of 2013.

Negotiations for the agreement began in 2010 and included Costa Rica's other Central American neighbors, El Salvador, Honduras and Panama, but Peru signed bilateral accords with each individually.

At their meeting, meanwhile, Peru's Humala expressed an interest in learning more about Costa Rica's success with ecological tourism and citizen safety, the ministry said.

To that end, Chinchilla offered Humala an open invitation to attend the next gathering of the Central American Integration System (SICA).

Humala and Chinchilla were accompanied by Peru's Foreign Minister Rafael Roncagliolo and Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism Jose Silva, and Costa Rica's Minister of Trade, Anabel Gonzalez, and Communications Minister Francisco Chacon.

Chinchilla arrived in Lima Saturday with her husband, Jose Rico, to attend a private social event.

Peruvian exports to Costa Rica amounted to 59 million U.S. dollars (FOB) in 2012, including just over 49 million dollars in traditional exports, such as coffee, metals and fishmeal, and 9.8 million dollars in non-traditional exports, such as fish and meat products, wood and paper, machined metal, handicrafts, textiles and jewelry.

During the same period, Peru imported 25 million dollars worth of goods from Costa Rica (CIF), including 22.6 million dollars in raw materials, 7.3 million dollars in capital goods, and 4.5 million dollars in consumer goods.