President Luong Cuong hosted a farewell meeting on March 20 in Hanoi with Ambassador of the Dominican Republic Jaime Francisco Rodriguez as he concluded his tenure in Vietnam.

The State leader congratulated the ambassador on successfully fulfilling his term, acknowledging his positive contributions to promoting the Vietnam–Dominican Republic relations.

He hailed the ambassador's role in advancing bilateral ties through high-level exchanges, cultural promotion events, and mutual support at international organizations and multilateral forums.

In response, Ambassador Jaime Francisco Rodriguez noted that during his tenure, he had received great support from the Vietnamese government, ministries, agencies, friendship organizations, businesses, and the Vietnamese people, which greatly facilitated the work of both himself and the embassy.

The ambassador highlighted the positive strides in bilateral relations across multiple fields, including politics, diplomacy, economy, trade, agricultural cooperation, epidemiology, culture, and education. These developments, he said, have helped deepen and solidify ties between the two nations.

Ambassador Rodriguez expressed admiration for Vietnam’s remarkable progress in recent years, considering it a model for the Dominican Republic to learn from. He also emphasized that the Dominican government and people hold a deep affection for Vietnam and will continue to support the country at multilateral forums.

The ambassador stated that, with the support and coordination of the Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant agencies, the embassy made meaningful contributions to the official visit of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to the Dominican Republic in November 2024. The visit marked a significant milestone, opening up numerous cooperation opportunities in areas where both sides have strengths and can complement each other, such as agriculture, construction, telecommunications, and science and technology.

Additionally, he expressed appreciation for Vietnam’s assistance in restoring the statue of President Ho Chi Minh in Santo Domingo. Along with the statue of Juan Bosch in Hanoi, these monuments symbolize the strong friendship between the two countries.

The ambassador affirmed that, regardless of his future role, he would remain committed to strengthening the Vietnam–Dominican Republic partnership, particularly as both nations prepare to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their diplomatic ties in 2025.

Agreeing with the ambassador’s assessments, President Luong Cuong reaffirmed Vietnam’s consistent foreign policy of boosting ties with all countries, including Latin American nations and the Dominican Republic.

Applauding the Dominican Republic’s position in Latin America, the President emphasized Vietnam’s desire to step up comprehensive cooperation in politics, diplomacy, economy, trade, education, and people-to-people exchanges for the benefit of both nations and for regional peace, stability, and development.

The President proposed that both sides continue sharing information on cooperation needs and work together to carry out agreements signed during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s visit, thereby deepening and diversifying bilateral relations.

While acknowledging recent growth in bilateral trade, President Luong Cuong noted that it remains below its full potential. He urged both sides to take further steps to bolster economic, trade, and investment cooperation.

On this occasion, through Ambassador Jaime Francisco Rodriguez, President Luong Cuong conveyed his greetings, best wishes, and an invitation for an official visit to Vietnam to Dominican President Luis Abinader Corona at a convenient time.

The President expressed confidence that, with his fine sentiment towards Vietnam, Ambassador Rodriguez would continue to serve as a bridge between the two nations and contribute further to the enhancement of Vietnam–Dominican Republic relations, particularly in 2025 as the two countries commemorate 20 years of diplomatic ties (July 7, 2005 – July 7, 2025).

New phase in Vietnam’s ties with Dominican Republic, Caribbean

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to the Dominican Republic ushered in a new period not only in the bilateral ties but also in Vietnam’s relations with the broader Caribbean region, Dr. Ruvislei González Saez, a senior researcher at Cuba's Centre for International Policy Studies, has assessed.