President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed South Africa’s support for Cuba’s annual resolution on the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against the country.
The resolution is expected to be voted on in the General Assembly at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York on Wednesday.
“The USA has imposed a statutory embargo on Cuba for the past 56 years and the severe economic and financial restrictions under the embargo continue to stifle the economic and social development of Cuba. The current US policy towards Cuba under President Donald Trump not only enforces but intensifies the embargo, which ignores the majority support of the international community to the lifting of the embargo and the normalisation of Cuba-US relations,” Presidency spokesperson Khusela Diko said in a statement.
The Presidency adds that South Africa will support the member countries of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the Group of 77 and China (G77), the African Group and others in the UN that support the lifting of what it terms an “inhumane embargo”.
The embargo “against Cuba and its people and registers its rejection of the proposed amendments by the US to the draft resolution to be adopted,” the Presidency.
In this context, the Presidency said, South Africa reaffirms its call for an end to the unilateral economic, commercial and financial blockade and urges the US Government to reconsider its policies towards Cuba.
President Ramaphosa assured Cuba of South Africa’s continued support and solidarity and said that they will again vote in favour of the resolution. – SAnews.gov.za
