A high-level diplomatic meeting held at the headquarters of the Global Democracy and Development Foundation (FUNGLODE) in Santo Domingo has opened new doors for expanded cross-border collaboration between the Dominican Republic and Türkiye. The gathering brought together Leonel Fernández, former Dominican president and current head of FUNGLODE, and Emriye Bağdagül Ormancı, Türkiye’s appointed ambassador to the Caribbean nation, to map out new partnership pathways across academic, cultural and institutional sectors.
Against a backdrop of growing global interest in deepening south-south and inter-regional cooperation, the two sides centered their discussions on concrete initiatives spanning education, joint academic research, cross-cultural dialogue and shared action on sustainable development. Both parties made clear their shared enthusiasm for broadening people-to-people exchanges and launching collaborative projects that deliver mutual benefits to both nations.
During the meeting, Fernández reiterated FUNGLODE’s long-standing dedication to fostering international connectivity and open knowledge exchange across borders. He underscored that the foundation’s mission aligns closely with efforts to strengthen formal diplomatic ties between the Dominican Republic and Türkiye. For her part, Ambassador Ormancı stressed Türkiye’s continued commitment to deepening bilateral relations with the Dominican Republic, noting untapped potential for growth across the areas highlighted in the discussion.
The meeting was also attended by two other participating officials: Cansu Onur, third secretary of the Turkish Embassy in the Dominican Republic, and Guacayarima Sosa Machado, marking a formal delegation-level engagement to advance the new cooperation agenda.