JOIN US"On the one hand we, the global community, make tall promises on Millennium Development Goals, of striving for human dignity and achieving equitable growth, but when it comes to action, we do the exact opposite," Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed said in the UN.
He said India supports the resolution moved by Cuba and joins other nations in calling for an immediate end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Havana.
Terming as "unfortunate" the continued US embargo on Cuba, Ahamed said India sees this as a "violation of the world opinion, and an act that severely undermines multilateralism and the credibility of the United Nations itself."
The UN General Assembly also renewed its call for the 20th consecutive year for an end to the embargo. In a resolution adopted by 186 votes in favour to two against (Israel and the US), the Assembly reiterated its call to all States to refrain from applying laws and measures not conforming with their obligations to reaffirm freedom of trade.
Introducing the text, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla said the US has never hidden the fact that the objective of the embargo – which he said has caused more than USD 975 billion in damage to the Cuban people – is to overthrow his country’s government.
"What the US Government wants to see changed will not change," Parrilla said, adding that the Cuban Government will continue to be "the government of the people, by the people and for the people."
"Our elections shall not be auction sales. There shall not be USD 4 billion electoral campaigns nor a parliament supported by 13 per cent of voters," he added. Ahamed said the Cuban people have suffered immensely due to the US embargo, which has severely undermined the progress and development of the country.
"The embargo, which perhaps has no parallel in history, is a transgression of the right of a sovereign state to development and to enjoy freedom of trade, economy and navigation," Ahamed said.
He said the embargo has denied a life of respect and basic standard to the people of Cuba, making a call that "action must speak louder than words." The global economic slowdown coupled with spiraling food and energy prices has made matters worse for the Cuban population.
Further, the embargo has denied Cuba access to US market, investment, technology, financial services and scientific, educational, cultural and sporting institutions. "Cuba has had to pay enormous extra cost for sourcing products, technology and services from third countries located thousands of kilometers away," Ahamed said, adding the extra- territorial application of the US embargo has discouraged investment, technology transfer and sale and other forms of business collaborations between Cuba and third countries.
Noting that there is huge potential for strengthening economic and commercial ties between Cuba and the US, Ahamed said steps taken by the US administration in January this year to reduce restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba are positive.
"However, it is far from making a fundamental change in the complex framework of laws and regulations which are part of the embargo against Cuba. Much more needs to be done," he said.
US representative Ronald Godard said that for yet another year, the Assembly is taking up a resolution designed to confuse and obscure. "But let there be no confusion about this: the US, like most Member States, reaffirms its strong commitment to supporting the right and the heartfelt desire of the Cuban people to freely determine their future. And let there be no obscuring that the Cuban regime has deprived them of this right for more than half a century," he said.
Godard added that the economic relationship between the US and Cuba is a bilateral issue and is not appropriately a concern of the Assembly.