On the occasion of May 28 – Azerbaijan’s Independence Day, an official reception was held for the first time in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic.
This was reported to “Elchi” by the Embassy of Azerbaijan in the Dominican Republic.
The reception was attended by Hugo Francisco Rivera Fernandez, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Economic Affairs and International Cooperation of the Dominican Republic, as well as representatives of the Dominican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, parliament, various state institutions, the diplomatic corps, one of the country’s leading media outlets, the “Listin Diario” newspaper, and other media and public representatives.
The event began with the national anthems of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Dominican Republic.
Following the national anthems, Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Ruslan Rzayev delivered a speech, highlighting the significance of the reception held for the first time in Santo Domingo. The diplomat spoke about the historical importance of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, established on May 28, 1918, as the first democratic state in the Muslim East. Noting that this Republic, which existed for only 23 months, demonstrated the determination of our people for independence to the world, he highlighted the significant achievements made in state-building during that period.
R. Rzayev stated that Azerbaijan restored its independence in 1991 and, under the leadership of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, embarked on a new path of development, becoming a reliable partner at the international level. The Ambassador noted that the strategy of the Great Leader is being successfully continued by President Ilham Aliyev, under whose leadership Azerbaijan has fully restored its sovereignty over its territories. He spoke about the new realities in the region after the Patriotic War, the peace agenda, and the restoration and construction work carried out in the liberated territories.
The Ambassador emphasized that in recent years, Azerbaijan has hosted prestigious international competitions and events such as COP29, the Non-Aligned Movement, the European Games, the CIS Games, and Formula 1. In this regard, he highlighted the successful organization of the 13th session of the UN World Urban Forum (WUF13) held in our country from May 17 to 22.
Speaking about Azerbaijan-Dominican relations, R. Rzayev emphasized that our country pays attention to relations with the Dominican Republic, which is why the Azerbaijani embassy was accredited to this country for the first time in 2025. The diplomat stated that Azerbaijan is interested in developing relations with small island states. He spoke about the positive dynamics observed in bilateral contacts recently and the mutual visits, noting that there are broad opportunities for further development of relations between our countries.
Then, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Economic Affairs and International Cooperation Hugo Francisco Rivera Fernandez, who attended as a guest of honor, expressed his gratitude on behalf of the government for holding the reception on the occasion of Azerbaijan’s Independence Day in the Dominican Republic for the first time. On behalf of the Dominican government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he congratulated the people of Azerbaijan on Independence Day. H. Rivera emphasized that the positive dynamics in bilateral contacts are gratifying and that there is great potential for cooperation between the two countries, both within the framework of international organizations and in the fields of trade, economy, tourism, education, and others.
During the reception, video clips reflecting Azerbaijan’s tourism opportunities and information about our country were shown, including the “Icherisheher: Living Urban Heritage” exhibition, related to our country’s hosting of WUF13 within the framework of the “Year of Urban Planning and Architecture.”