SANTO DOMINGO.– President Luis Abinader received the credentials of nine ambassadors accredited to the Dominican Republic yesterday, Wednesday, during a formal ceremony held in the Ambassadors' Hall of the National Palace.
During the ceremony, the head of state was accompanied by Vice President Raquel Peña and Foreign Minister Víctor “Ito” Bisonó.
Which countries and embassies will be operating in the Dominican Republic?
The new diplomats come from the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Honduras, Canada, the State of Israel, the Republic of Chile, the Republic of Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of Slovenia and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
The Presidency reported that the arrival of these new diplomatic representatives contributes to the strengthening of the Dominican Republic's bilateral relations and the consolidation of its cooperation ties with these nations.
From Korea
The first to present his credentials was Bae Jin Lima, the new ambassador of the Republic of Korea, who joined the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2002 after passing the Diplomatic Service Examination. He has held various diplomatic posts at Korean embassies in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Jamaica, and Israel, in addition to serving as director of the Central America and Caribbean Division of the Korean Foreign Ministry.
Honduras
Ernesto Pumpo, the new ambassador of the Republic of Honduras, has a background in the business and commercial sector and, since 2016, has served as Director of Events for the Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Cortés. He is also the director of the Bazar del Sábado Foundation, an initiative that supports Honduran entrepreneurs, and the general manager of an advertising company.
Canada
For his part, Brendan Michael Sutton, Canada's new ambassador , joined the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 2004 and has held positions such as Director of the Division of Consular Operations, Official Spokesperson for the Department, and Deputy Director of the Media Relations and Caribbean and Central America Divisions. In the foreign service, he has served at the Canadian embassies in Moscow and Tokyo.
Israel
Oren Bar-El, the new ambassador of the State of Israel, has extensive experience in international relations, particularly in Latin America, Europe , and multilateral organizations. He currently serves as Special Envoy for Energy in the Economic Division of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He has served as Israel's ambassador to Costa Rica, with concurrent accreditation to Nicaragua, and to El Salvador and Belize. He also headed the Department for Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and held diplomatic posts in Spain, France, and to the European Union.
Chili
Germán Antonio Becker Alvear, the new ambassador of the Republic of Chile, served in the same position in Panama from 2018 to 2022, where he spearheaded the creation of ProChile's Trade Directorate and coordinated affairs for Central America and the Caribbean. He also served as vice president of the Latin American Parliament and as a constitutional advisor in Chile, in addition to holding leadership positions in the municipalities of Zapallar and Santiago.
Indonesia
SimonDjatwoko Irwantoro Soekarno, the new ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia, has extensive experience at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he has held positions such as Director of Consular Affairs, Director of Protocol Affairs, and Head of the Directorate of Foreign Delegations. In the foreign service, he has served at Indonesian embassies in Singapore, Madrid, and Santiago, Chile, and as Consul General in Los Angeles.
Pakistan
Also presenting his credentials was Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, the new ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, who has over three decades of experience in his country's Foreign Service. He currently serves as Deputy Secretary for the Middle East, SIFC, and Economic Diplomacy at the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He was ambassador and permanent representative to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Islamic Development Bank and other international organizations, as well as deputy head of mission at the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington D.C.He has also held diplomatic posts in Turkey, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia.
Slovenia
Similarly, Andrej Medica, the new ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia, presented his credentials. He has extensive experience in his country's foreign service. He currently serves as Chief of Staff at the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and previously held the position of Deputy Secretary-General at that institution. He has also served as Head of the Department for North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean, Chargé d'Affaires at the Embassy of Slovenia in Washington, D.C., and Deputy Permanent Representative to NATO in Brussels.
Jordan
Finally, Walid Khalid Abdullah Obeidat, the new ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. A career diplomat since 1991, he currently serves as Jordan's ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations in New York.
He previously served as ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland, as well as ambassador to Israel and director of European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has also held leadership positions in the legal, human rights, and international organizations sectors, and has served in diplomatic posts in France, Egypt, Geneva, and New York.
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