Vietnam calls on US to put an end embargo on Cuba

A session of the UN General Assembly (Source: VNA)

 Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, Head of the Vietnam Mission to the UN, asserted Vietnam’s strong opposition to the US’s unilateral economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba in her speech at the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York on October 27.

“Vietnam wishes to reiterate its firm conviction that the United States’ blockade against Cuba for more than 5 decades is contrary to international law and the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter, causing untold hardship for the Cuban people. This policy runs counter to the common desire of all nations in the world to build sound and equal international relations, regardless of political systems and in respect of each nation’s rights to choose its own path of development,” Nga stated.

Vietnam has joined other members of the UN General Assembly in calling for the immediate removal of the unjustified unilateral embargo against Cuba, she stressed.
Meanwhile, representatives from the Group of 77, Caribbean Community member countries, MERCOSUR member nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation condemned the US’s embargo, saying that the embargo infringes upon the principles of the UN Charter and international law. They called on the US to strictly enforce resolutions of the UN General Assembly and put an end to its illegal embargo against Cuba.

The European Union (EU)’s representative stressed that the removal of the US embargo will facilitate Cuba’s efforts to open the doors of its economy and bring legitimate benefits to the Cuban people.

Indian and Iranian delegates highlighted the negative impacts of the embargo on Cuba’s economy and people in all fields, stressing that it prevented Cuba from accessing markets and assistance sources and promoting technology transfer and sustainable development.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla has also called for the US Congress’s approval of a decision to end its embargo on Cuba at a press conference after the session.

Previously, in his speech at the session, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla thanked the international community for its support for Cuba’s request that the US to lift its economic, commercial and financial embargo on Cuba.

The embargo imposed by the US against Cuba for more than five decades has been the central obstacle for Cuba’s economic development, Parrilla said. He also reviewed progress in relations between the two countries since they declared the normalisation of their ties in late 2014.

The Cuban official expressed his desire that Cuba-US affiliations would continue to develop, especially in tourism; science, culture and sport exchanges; and trade and investment.-VNA