Solomon Islands expressed support for Cuba in anti-blockade vote
Statement by the representative of the Solomon Islands at the UN debate on the lifting of the blockade against Cuba. teleSUR
Transcript
00:00 Distinguished Representative of Solomon Islands to take the floor.
00:05 Mr. President, at the outset, my delegation acknowledges the presence of the Minister
00:09 of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Mr. Bruno Rodriguez-Perela, and thank the Secretary General for the report
00:16 on Cuba, highlighting the impacts of the embargo on Cuba.
00:21 My delegation aligns itself with the statement made by the Distinguished Delegate of Uganda
00:27 on behalf of the Group of 77 in China.
00:32 Mr. President, Solomon Islands voted in favor of the resolution as a reaffirmation of our
00:38 support for Cuba and the cessation of the economic, commercial, and financial embargo
00:44 on Cuba.
00:46 The embargo on Cuba is not in the spirit of the United Nations and goes against the principles
00:52 of the United Nations Charter.
00:55 As member states, we are duty-bound to uphold the commitment to the purposes, principles,
01:00 and spirit of the Charter of the United Nations, particularly regarding the sovereign equality
01:06 of states, non-intervention, non-interference in states' internal affairs, and freedom of
01:12 international trade and navigation.
01:15 Mr. President, the unilateral embargo on Cuba over six decades denies Cubans the right to
01:21 trade, access to goods, critical and medical supplies, and violates Cuba's inalienable
01:27 right to development.
01:30 Nor does it reflect our unified aspirations to achieve the 2030 Agenda or the Sustainable
01:36 Development Goals, which we collectively pledge not to leave anyone behind.
01:42 Mr. President, Solomon Islands does not support the imposition of unilateral action or measures
01:47 that perpetuate negative impact on the well-being of the people of another state.
01:53 We therefore join the UN community in calling for the immediate removal of the embargo to
01:59 restore faith in observing international law and the respect for United Nations principles.
02:07 With the near-unanimous support by the General Assembly on the resolution again today, we
02:15 encourage the United States to reconsider its decision on the embargo in the spirit
02:20 of goodwill and engage in enhanced dialogue and constructive consultation with Cuba.
02:28 Mr. President, Solomon Islands acknowledges with sincere appreciation Cuba's partnership
02:34 and commitment to South-South cooperation and its contribution to the international
02:38 community despite these imposed measures.
02:42 As a close bilateral partner, Cuba has trained more than 100 of our medical doctors that
02:48 are now saving lives around the country.
02:51 We remain resolved in our stand with Cuba, as we have done in the past, and to the ending
02:56 of the economic, commercial, and financial embargo on Cuba.
03:01 I thank you, Mr. President.
03:03 I should like to thank the distinguished representative of the Solomon Islands, and I now invite the