U.S. urged to end Cuba embargo
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The UN General Assembly on Tuesday adopted a draft resolution calling on the United States to immediately end its decades-long trade embargo against Cuba.
The draft resolution was adopted by the 192-member General Assembly with 187 votes in favor and 2 votes against, with 3 abstentions. It was the 19th consecutive year that the General Assembly has adopted the resolution by an overwhelming majority of votes to condemn the Cuba embargo.
The resolution, entitled "the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the U.S. against Cuba," was introduced by Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Eduardo Rodriguez Parrilla.
The United States, who imposed the blockade against Cuba in the early 1960s when both countries severed diplomatic ties, voted against the draft resolution along with Israel.
The resolution, which is not legally binding, urged States to repeal or invalidate any such laws as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, the resolution also reiterated previous calls on countries "to refrain from promulgating and applying laws and measures" that do not conform to their obligations to reaffirm freedom of trade and navigation.
The resolution voiced concern about the "adverse effects" of such measures on the Cuban people and on Cuban nationals living in other countries.
Five decades after the United States imposed its embargo, Parrilla said that at present "the U.S. policy against Cuba is devoid of any ethical or legal grounds and lacks credibility and support."
"In the course of the year 2010, the economic siege has been tightened and its everyday impact continues to be visible in all aspects of life in Cuba. It has particularly serious consequences in areas so sensitive to the population such as health and food," he added.
The resolution expressed concern that despite the adoption of previous resolutions calling for an end to the embargo, " further measures of that nature aimed at strengthening and extending the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba continue to be promulgated and applied."
The resolution also reiterated its call to all member states that continue to apply trade embargoes on other nations "to take the necessary steps to repeal or invalidate them as soon as possible in accordance with their legal regime."
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