Duma passes address to UN GA calling for lifting of U.S. embargo against Cuba
MOSCOW. Nov 5 (Interfax) - The Russian State Duma on Tuesday passed an address to the United Nations General Assembly calling for exerting influence on the United States to end the economic, financial, and commercial embargo against Cuba.
"While an overwhelming majority of UN member states have repeatedly supported resolutions calling on the U.S. to lift the sanctions on an independent state, the United States of America is continuing its sanction pressure on the Republic of Cuba and is consistently toughening such pressure measures. President Trump signed a decree extending the embargo yet again in September 2019," the document said.
"The State Duma condemns the U.S. for the economic, financial, and commercial embargo against Cuba, which has been maintained for nearly 60 years now. The State Duma deputies call on the international community to work out a system of measures to influence the U.S. to end the economic, financial, and commercial embargo against the sovereign state," it said.
"The U.S. has been continually creating new obstacles to commercial and investment activities of U.S. companies in Cuba and companies of other foreign countries, and it has continued introducing restrictions on tourist trips to Cuba and on money transfers by Cubans staying in the U.S. to their home country," the document said.
"The policy of sanctions causes direct damage to various aspects of the Cuban state's functioning, primarily the energy, transport, healthcare, and education sectors, food security, and the development of culture and sports," it said.
"The economic, financial, and commercial embargo against Cuba causes damage to its socioeconomic development and goes directly against the generally accepted principles and norms of international law," the document said.
The address to the UN General Assembly was drawn up by the Duma's Foreign Affairs Committee.