December 13, 2024 03:54 (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
UP teenager kills mother, lives with body for 5 days | At least six people including a child killed in Tamil Nadu hospital fire | Amid Atul Subhash row, SC says mere harassment is not enough to prove abetment to suicide | India's D Gukesh becomes youngest ever world champion in chess | Devendra Fadnavis meets PM Modi amid suspense over Maharashtra portfolio allocation | Congress wants to deviate the issue of Sonia Gandhi-George Soros link: JP Nadda | Bengaluru techie suicide: Atul Subhash's family demanded Rs. 10 lakh as dowry leading to my father's death, claims estranged wife | Syria rebels torch tomb of ousted president Bashar al-Assad's father | Donald Trump vows to eliminate birthright citizenship after taking charge | No alliance with Congress in Delhi polls: AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal

At UN, Cuba cites progress in US relations, but with embargo still in place, ‘there’s a long way to go’

| | Sep 23, 2016, at 02:45 pm
New York, Sept 23 (Just Earth News): Noting that a little more than a year has elapsed since the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States and while “some progress” has been achieved in bilateral relations, the decades-old economic blockade against Cube is still in force, and “there is still there is still a long way ahead in order to move towards the normalization of relations,” Cuba’s Foreign Minister told the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday.


Bruno Eduardo Rodríguez Parrilla particularly noted progress in in diplomatic relations, dialogue and cooperation in areas of mutual interest, as evidenced by the high-level visits that have taken place, including by US President Barack Obama.

“However, the blockade is still in force; it continues to cause serious damages and hardships to the Cuban people; and continues to hinder the functioning of our economy and its relations with other countries,” he explained, adding: “The executive measures adopted by the US Government, although positive, are still insufficient.”

Moreover, the recent examples of the economic and financial damages caused by the blockade to Cuba and third countries are numerous. “As long as this continues to happen, we will continue to present to this Assembly the draft resolution entitled ‘Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba,’” he said, reiterating the Cuban Government's willingness to continue developing a respectful dialogue with the US Government, knowing that there is still a long way ahead in order to move towards the normalization of relations.

“[This] means building a new model of bilateral relations in our common history, which could never be forgotten. For this to be possible someday, it will be indispensable that the blockade is lifted. The territory illegally occupied by the US naval base in Guantanamo against Cuba's will, must be returned to our country,” he stressed.

Turning to wider development issues, he said: “The gap between our deliberations and peoples' realities persists. The lack of political will of industrialized States becomes evident. The irrational patterns of consumption and production of capitalism which lead to the destruction of the living conditions in the planet are replicated.”

Indeed, Foreign Minister Rodríguez Parrilla said the huge nuclear and conventional stockpiles and the annual military budget of $1.7 trillion give the lie to those who affirm that there are no resources to eradicate poverty and underdevelopment. “However, there are many arguments that justify the urgency of building a new international financial architecture,” he stressed.

Against such a backdrop, he said the UN must be defended from unilateralism, and at the same time it needs to be reformed into a more democratic organization that is closer to the problems, needs and aspirations of peoples; capable of leading the international system towards peace, sustainable development and the respect of all human rights for all.

With than in mind, he called for, among others, reform of the Security Council, both in terms of its composition and working methods – “a task that should not be put off any longer.” The strengthening of the General Assembly and the restoration of the functions that were usurped by the Council should guide the search for a more democratic and efficient Organization.

UN Photo/Cia Pak

 

Source: www.justearthnews.com

 

 

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Related Images
Xi Jinping, Putin in Russia Mar 22, 2023, at 08:26 pm