Against the timeless backdrop of Santo Domingo’s Colonial City, a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site, the Italian Embassy in the Dominican capital gathered a diverse, influential crowd this week to mark Italy’s annual Republic Day with a signature diplomatic reception. The venue, one of the Caribbean’s most iconic historic landmarks, set a fitting stage for a gathering centered on celebrating decades of shared connection between Rome and Santo Domingo, bringing together senior diplomatic envoys from across the region, top Dominican government officials, and members of both the Italian community resident in the Dominican Republic and Dominican communities with roots in bilateral exchange.
In his keynote address to attendees, Italian Ambassador Sergio Maffettone opened by highlighting the multifaceted, long-running relationship that binds the two Mediterranean and Caribbean nations. He traced the connection back through generations, noting the deep historical and cultural overlaps that shape bilateral ties today, before turning to the outsized social contributions that Italian migrants and people of Italian descent have made to building modern Dominican society. Maffettone also emphasized the mutual nature of people-to-people connection: the Dominican community in Italy ranks among the largest foreign diaspora communities from the Caribbean in the European country, while a robust, active Italian population remains rooted in the Dominican Republic, sustaining cultural and economic exchange on the ground.
Beyond people-to-people ties, Maffettone drew special attention to the rapidly expanding economic partnership between the two nations. He confirmed that Italian foreign direct investment (FDI) flowing into the Dominican Republic hit an all-time high of $371 million in 2025, marking a clear upward trajectory in commercial collaboration. He also welcomed a major new development in bilateral connectivity: ITA Airways’ recent announcement of a new direct air route linking Rome’s Fiumicino Airport to Santo Domingo’s Las Américas International Airport, scheduled to launch commercial operations in November 2026. The new route is expected to boost tourism, business travel, and people-to-people exchange between the two countries dramatically.
Speaking on behalf of the Dominican government at the reception, Deputy Foreign Minister Francisco Caraballo echoed the ambassador’s positive assessment of bilateral relations. He commended the deep, decades-long friendship between the two countries and formally recognized Italy as a key strategic partner that has contributed substantially to the Dominican Republic’s ongoing social and economic development agenda.