- European Union and Russia call to eliminate US blockade against Cuba
- US Senators present bill to end the blockade against Cuba
Addis Ababa, 8 February 2021. For the twelfth consecutive time, the Assembly of the African Union, composed of the Heads of State and Government of Africa, adopted the «Resolution on lifting the economic, trade and financial blockade imposed on the Republic of Cuba by the United States of America».
The text expresses deep concern about the continuity of the blockade and expresses its full support for the RESOLUTION adopted each year by the UN General Assembly on the subject. Elsewhere in the document, the African Union regrets the setback in Cuba-US relations and calls on Cuba to lift unjustified and lengthy sanctions.
African countries also consider the negative impact of the implementation of the extraterritorial Helms Burton Act, in particular the full implementation of Title III, as well as verifying the aggravated impact of sanctions at the time of the current COVID-19 pandemic on the Caribbean archipelago.
Finally, the Resolution indicates that the blockade is the main obstacle for Cuba to achieve the objectives contained in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and reaffirms Africa’s solidarity with the Cuban people.
On Sunday, 7 February, African leaders concluded their 34th two-day Ordinary Summit – held in virtual format–, which elected the new directive of the African Union Commission, and where they discussed various issues of vital importance to that brother continent, with an emphasis on combating COVID-19, conflict prevention and management, as well as ongoing development initiatives armed by agenda 2063.
Equally, the High Representative for Foreign Policy of the European Union (EU), Joseph Borrell, urged US President Joe Biden to eliminate the economic, financial and commercial blockade imposed on Cuba for six decades.
‘We very much regret Trump’s decision to include Cuba on the list of countries that support terrorism. This decision was taken in the last hours of his mandate, ‘Borrell declared in Moscow, during a joint press conference with his counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
«We hope the new administration will reverse it,» he said.
On the subject, the head of Russian diplomacy stressed that ‘the case of Cuba clearly shows that unilateral approaches are disastrous and must be reviewed. Here we fully agree with the European Union, ‘he said.
At the same time, Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, presented in the last hours the draft of the Trade Law between Cuba and the United States of 2021, which seeks to repeal the obsolete sanctions and establish normal commercial relations with Cuba.
“Our nation’s embargo on Cuba is an artifact of the 1960s. To continue this antiquated and harmful policy of isolation would be a failure of the US leadership. Although Trump increased tensions with Cuba during his disastrous period in office, I am optimistic about President Biden’s new diplomatic course,” Wyden said, quoted by various media outlets.
Joining Wyden on the bill were US Senators Patrick Leahy, Richard Durbin and Jeff Merkley.
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