Mr. Chairman,

The economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba has lasted for decades, which has caused enormous difficulties for the Cuban people in their efforts to achieve economic and social development and tremendously harmed the health and the welfare of women and children in that context. This has also constituted a violation of their human rights. The laws with extraterritorial effects implemented for enforcing the embargo have also adversely affected normal economic and commercial relations between Cuba and other countries and therefore seriously jeopardized their legitimate rights and interests.

Resorting to unilateral economic, commercial and financial embargo with a view to forcing other countries to abandon their independent choice of development pattern and even subverting their government violate the objectives and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and norms governing the international relations, and it should therefore be condemned. The United Nations has adopted by absolute majority resolution after resolution for many consecutive years, calling on all countries to abide by the Charter of the Untied Nations and norms of international law, and urging countries to avoid enforcing laws and regulations jeopardizing the legitimate rights and interests of a third country, as well as requesting countries that are still implementing such laws to take measures to forsake them. The responses to the issue as contained in the Secretary General's and statements made by member states under this item further demonstrate the call of the international community for a constructive dialogue and a negotiated resolution of their disputes.

We have noted that the United States has recently loosened the embargo against Cuba in medicine and food , which indicates that the negative impacts of have raised the concern of the American people. We hope that this retrospection will eventually result in the elimination of the entire economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States against Cuba, thereby normalizing the relations between the two neighboring countries.

As has been said by the Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs, although limited measures have been taken by the United States to loosen the embargo, on the whole it remains unlifted. It is the responsibility of the international community to continue to make efforts with a view to putting to an end to such practices so as to end as soon as possible the suffering of the Cuban people and enable the normal economic and trade between the conduction uninterruptedly.