The ambassador of the Dominican Republic in Spain, the diplomat and prominent intellectual Tony Raful, was appointed as extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador, concurrent, of the Dominican Republic in the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.
According to decree 284-26 issued by President Luis Abinader, Raful will perform these new functions while maintaining his headquarters in the Kingdom of Spain, where he also serves as a representative to the Principality of Andorra. This appointment aims to strengthen ties with the African nation, with which the country has maintained official relations since 2007. Subsequently, in 2024, both nations signed an agreement for the reciprocal abolition of visas for holders of diplomatic, official, and service passports, which was approved by the Senate of the Republic in October 2025 and by the Chamber of Deputies on May 19.
The career of the Dominican diplomat, 75 years old, stands out for his academic work as a Doctor of Law and a graduate in Political Science, in addition to his role as the National Literature Prize 2014. During his recent tenure in Italy (2020-2024), he promoted milestones such as the First Dominican Satellite Mission and the strengthening of health diplomacy, in addition to his diplomatic management, in 2021, of the Memorandum of Understanding for the Establishment of the Political Consultation Mechanism, an initiative that led to a structured dialogue between both countries and facilitated cooperation in areas such as diplomacy, culture, and gastronomy. His merits earned him the decoration of Grand Officer of the Order of the Star of Italy, one of the highest honors awarded by the Italian government to foreign personalities.
