President Luis Abinader met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday, 30 April 2025 at the Presidential Palace, a confirmation of the long-standing diplomatic relations between the Dominican Republic and Russia. Lavrov had arrived at 10pm on Tuesday. The meeting coincided with the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations.
The one-on-one meeting with President Abinader lasted approximately 35 minutes and focused on the historical context of Dominican-Russian relations and opportunities to strengthen economic, cultural, and political collaboration. Abinader emphasized the importance of building on the 80-year legacy of diplomatic engagement, while Lavrov underscored Moscow’s commitment to expanding its presence in the Caribbean region.
Attending the presidential meeting on the Dominican side were Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez, Vice Minister of Bilateral Foreign Policy Francisco Caraballo, Dominican Ambassador to Russia Alejandro Arias Zarzuela. Russian officials present included the Russian ambassador in the DR Alexei Seredin, Vice Foreign Minister Sergei Rabkov and diplomat Alexander Shchetinin, the Russian Foreign Ministry director of the Latin America department.
The relations with Russia are especially important at a time when the DR continues to insist in presentations at the UN Security Council that more funding be made available for the peace mission in Haiti. Russia is a permanent member and has veto voting rights in the Security Council. At no time during the visit, did Lavrov publicly refer to the Haitian crisis.
The visit had been announced to coincide with the opening of the Russian Embassy, but this did not occur and the press reported instead on advances towards the opening. The press reported that the possible opening of the embassy was discussed.
As reported in 7Dias, Lavrov said that appointed ambassador Alexei Seredin is actively working on finding a permanent location for the embassy.
During a working session earlier on Wednesday, 30 April, with Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez at the Ministry of Foreign Relations, the ministers exchanged views on the progress of bilateral cooperation and the roadmap for the new diplomatic mission.
The visit highlights growing diplomatic momentum between the two countries, with both sides expressing optimism about enhancing cooperation in energy, trade, and education. The establishment of an embassy in the Dominican Republic would mark a formalization of ties long maintained through consular offices and cultural exchanges.
Read more:
El Caribe
7 Dias
ABC News
1 May 2025