Pope Francis urged Nicaragua and Costa Rica to resolve some of the conflicts that have long affected the relationship between the Central American neighbors. The message has been well-received in both countries, though neither country has so far taken any concrete steps toward a rapprochement.

The leader of the world's more than 1 billion Roman Catholics on Sunday called for "reciprocal cooperation" between the two nations. The pontiff urged Costa Rica and Nicaragua to overcome mutual resentment over long-running border disputes and an impasse over thousands of stranded Cuban migrants, Agence France-Presse reported.

"I hope that a renewed spirit of fraternity will further strengthen the dialogue and mutual cooperation," the pontiff noted, referring to the two nations, as well as their Central American neighbors, according to the the Vatican-focused news agency Zenit.

In a statement provided to AFP, the Costa Rican government thanked the Pope for his appeal, but stressed that, "Renewed collaboration should be expressed through concrete and effective actions that show solidarity between the countries."

"The government of Costa Rica thanks and welcomes the message from Pope Francis," President Luis Guillermo Solís noted on his official Twitter channel.

The Nicaraguan government, meanwhile, similarly welcomed the message through state media.

"We are fully ready for dialogue," said Nicaraguan first lady Rosario Murillo, who also serves as the government's coordinator of communication and citizenship, according to the semiofficial Venezuelan television network Telesur.

"We are fully prepared to meet, as we have repeated, the different mechanisms. And we are fully prepared for dialogue and to contribute to ensure respect, tranquility and peace between our two countries," the wife of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega reiterated.

The papal intervention comes on the heels of Costa Rica's decision to suspend its engagement with the Central American Integration System, a regional body meant to promote cooperation, AFP noted.