Resolution to UN General Assembly:

Cuba to fight blockade policy

Wijitha NAKKAWITA

Cuba would present its resolution to the UN General Assembly "The necessity of putting an end to the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba" on October 28 as the blockade had denied the right of her country on trade, exchange, purchase of technical and medical equipment or material though the newly elected US President Obama has not taken one step to put and end to the blockade policy, Ambassador for Cuba to Sri Lanka Nirsia Castro Guevara said yesterday.

Addressing a press conference at the Embassy of Cuba Guevara said the similar resolutions adopted by the UN General Assembly with a majority of the international community voting to end the US blockade had not been respected by the United States and during 2007 and 2008 they were adopted with 184 and 185 member nations out of 192 voting for it with only the US and a handful of other countries not voting for it.

The continued blockade and embargo on Cuba had created several problems for the people of Cuba and also violates International Law and the direct economic repercussions and had caused damage to her nation were calculated at 236,221 million US Dollars up to now.

Among the sanctions imposed by the US in violation of International Law and norms Cuba is not allowed to export goods and services to US and vice versa. US subsidiaries based in third countries cannot engage in transactions with enterprises in Cuba and even if there was only 10 percent US component in enterprises in third countries they are not allowed to have transactions with Cuba.

There were also prohibitions on banks in third counties preventing Cubans from opening accounts in US Dollars and also prohibitions on ships to enter US ports for 180 days they embark in a port of Cuba, she said.

It was necessary to make the world public aware of the US blockade that had transgressed the right to peace, development and security of a sovereign state and in essence an aggression and a permanent threat against the stability of her country, Guevara also said.