On his Twitter account, the Cuban foreign minister described the debate as enriching, in which he offered details on the results of the referendum, its inclusive nature and the benefits of the new law for Cuban society.

Last Sunday, the Cuban population endorsed with 66.87% of the votes the legal norm, which seeks the realization of the person, not only from consanguinity, but also in good behavior, in attention and care and in the solidarity.

According to experts, the Code ratified by Cubans recognizes dignity as the supreme value and foundation of the rest of the rights recognized in the 2019 Constitution, and offers legal security to each person with disabilities, condemns family abuse and respects family diversity. .

(With information from Prensa Latina)

There he meets with various Serbian officials with whom he discusses unity and cooperation between the two countries.

The anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and Serbia is celebrated on November 4. In 120 years, they have been characterized by respect and historical ties of friendship. Both governments currently have agreements in sectors such as culture, tourism and sports.

The visit of the head of Cuban diplomacy to the South American nation takes place after the diplomatic triumph conquered by the island in the UN General Assembly, where the international community expressed its overwhelming rejection of the economic, commercial and financial blockade of the United States.

Previously, the Venezuelan Government welcomed the President of Bolivia, Luis Arce, and the Prime Ministers of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, among other authorities from member countries of the bloc.

The executive secretary of the regional bloc, Sacha Llorenti, specified that the high-level meeting will pay tribute to the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Carabobo, a decisive military action in Venezuela’s independence struggle.

The meeting of high ALBA-TCP authorities will take place in a geopolitical scenario marked by the economic impact and human damage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, together with the marked hostility of the United States against several countries in the area.

In recent statements, Llorenti pointed out that the member states of the bloc will ratify the integrationist will in the face of global challenges and threats to the peoples of the area.

(Taken from Prensa Latina)

Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, called for the defense of the right to peace and implementation of integrated policies in the region, with human needs as the priority, rather than economic gain or dubious political advantages, during his remarks, March 1, at the XXI Political Council of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), where relations were strengthened and actions defined in response to the challenging health situation.

Rodríguez, also member of the Party Political Bureau, saluted the decision to hold the meeting virtually, and thanked ALBA member states for their expressions of solidarity and support, in the wake of the infamous decision by the outgoing U.S. administration to include Cuba on its illegitimate list of state sponsors of terrorism.

He emphasized that results obtained in different meetings of high-level authorities demonstrate the revitalization of ALBA, precisely at a time when it is necessary to globalize solidarity and cooperation. “During these months, the coordinating work of the ALBA-TCP Executive Secretariat has been praiseworthy, dynamic and effective,” he stated.

Regarding the health and socioeconomic crisis facing the planet, he insisted that the prevailing international order has shown its total inability to respond with a minimum of efficiency and justice, hence the need to implement integrated policies, with human needs prioritized.

He condemned the imposition of unilateral coercive measures against several countries in the Alliance, which undermine the living conditions of our peoples, affect access to health, hinder material possibilities to expand cooperation among our nations and cause serious humanitarian harm. He once again denounced the economic, commercial and financial U.S. blockade of Cuba, which has had a severe impact in the context of the pandemic, the authorization to file lawsuits in U.S. courts under the protection of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, and financing of subversive actions to promote change and destroy the political, economic and social order that our people have freely chosen and achieved.

He reaffirmed Cuba’s unwavering support and solidarity with Venezuela and Nicaragua, which have courageously resisted the threats and hostile policies of the outgoing U.S. administration, and reiterated Cuba’s willingness to contribute modestly, as our possibilities permit, in the COVID-19 battle.

He reconfirmed Cuba’s support for the right of Caribbean countries to receive fair, special and differentiated treatment, so necessary given the challenges to be faced with respect to climate change, natural disasters, the unfair international financial system and new adversities imposed by the pandemic.

The Cuban Foreign Minister called on the new White House administration to maintain a respectful relationship with our country and with the entire region, abiding by the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, honoring sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs, and adhering consistently to respect for the independence and self-determination of our peoples.

(Taken from Granma)

Rodríguez, also a member of the Party Political Bureau, recalled that the pandemic has exacerbated the serious problems and challenges humanity faces, and has revealed new threats, including the fragility of health systems, emphasizing, “The promotion, protection and respect for the right to health acquire special relevance in this context.”

He noted, “In Cuba, the existence of a free, quality universal public health system guarantees the right to health for all Cubans,” and although this reality has not entirely prevented lamentable loss of lives, it has allowed us to confront the pandemic and achieve positive results.

Referring to Cuba’s medical development, Rodriguez pointed out, “Today we have four anti- COVID candidate vaccines in different phases of clinical trials, thanks to the development of Cuban science and the selfless work of our scientists. We expect to immunize the entire Cuban population this year.”

Rodriguez continued his remarks noting that the pandemic has triggered a serious economic and social crisis. “Inequalities, hunger and discrimination are growing exponentially, in a world already burdened by an unjust and undemocratic international order and by the implementation of ruthless neoliberal policies that impact the most vulnerable with even greater force, making their most basic rights impossible dreams,” he stated.

He recalled that ten of the richest nations in the West are monopolizing means to fight the disease, purchasing 95% of the anti- COVID vaccines produced on the planet, according to data provided by the World Health Organization in January.

“Prioritizing personal interests over the general welfare will increase suffering and deaths, even in industrialized countries.”

Rodriguez pointed out that Cuba, from the very beginning of the pandemic, has shared its experience in confronting epidemics, and sent 56 medical brigades from the Henry Reeve International Contingent to 40 countries and territories to confront the new coronavirus.

“Politically motivated, slanderous campaigns against this cooperation will go unheard in the world’s nations, which can always count on the solidarity, altruism and humanism of Cuban health professionals,” he stated.

“We continue to advance in the construction of an independent, sovereign, socialist, democratic, prosperous and sustainable nation, based on the proven resilience and creativity of our people, in spite of the cruel economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the U.S., tightened to an extreme level by the outgoing administration of President Donald Trump. The most recent example was the inclusion of Cuba on the spurious unilateral list of state sponsors of terrorism,” he said.

Speaking during the virtual meeting of the Human Rights Council, composed of 47 member states including Cuba, Rodriguez reaffirmed that although some attempt to distort Cuba’s reality and subvert our constitutional order, “We will continue with firm steps, perfecting our economic and social development model, and strengthening our legal-institutional framework for the protection and promotion of all human rights for all, guided by the new Constitution of the Republic.”

Since its establishment in November of 2019, the National Program against Racism and Racial Discrimination is working to combat and eliminate any vestige of such behaviors.

Also adopted as a government program, in the same month of 2020, the National Plan for the Advancement of Women was launched, to continue promoting the advancement of Cuban women, beyond the remarkable achievements made by the country in terms of gender equality.

He stated that Cuba has given irrefutable proof of its firm commitment to the promotion and protection of the human rights of its people and other peoples of the world. The manipulation of this noble cause for perverse political interests is unacceptable.

“In the face of attempts to defame the nation and overshadow our indisputable achievements in the field of human rights, we will defend the truth and never renounce our sovereignty and independence,” he asserted.

He reiterated that Cuba, as a member country of the Human Rights Council, will speak with its own voice, defending respectful and constructive dialogue, as opposed to punitive approaches, political manipulation and selectivity; and assured that the Cuban government will continue to honor its commitment to cooperate with all human rights mechanisms of universal application.

The Foreign Minister concluded insisting that the peoples of the world demand deeds, not words; solutions, not promises. They deserve a dignified life and a better world, which is possible. “We can only move forward if we put a global and united response to the challenges imposed on us above our differences.”

(Taken from Granma)

His Excellency Mr. Djeyhun Bayramov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan;

Esteemed Ministers and Heads of Delegations;

Delegates and guests;

Sixty years after their adoption, the Bandung principles, which were the most immediate antecedent of the Non-Aligned Movement, remain fully valid and are ever more relevant.

We recognize the work carried out by the Presidency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Movement and its efforts to preserve and strengthen the indispensable activism of countries of the South.

The world situation is ever more dangerous. The main economic, military and technological power disregards multilateral bodies and agreements; violates International Law and the UN Charter and threatens international peace and security with its aggressive and arrogant behavior. Its attempts to impose domination and hegemony are renewed and strengthened. It promotes conflicts and unleashes wars claiming humanitarian reasons or alleged anti-terrorism struggles.

We are witnessing a continued modernization of nuclear weapons and an increase in military expenditures, instead of an increased allocation of resources to sustainable development. The gap between the North and the South is widening. It has been estimated that in 2019, the 1 percent richest owned twice as much the wealth of 6.9 billion persons. Meanwhile, very conservative data indicate that 600 million were living in extreme poverty; almost 690 million were starving and 5.2 million children below the age of five died, most of them of curable and preventable diseases.

The world’s economic situation is critical and is worsening due to the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the underdeveloped world is bearing the brunt of this impact.

The irrational capitalist patterns of production and consumption are destroying the ecological balance in the planet. The unequal exchange persists and is worsening.

In some of our nations, the legitimate right to development is additionally limited by the imposition of unilateral coercive measures.

The foreign debt that suffocates underdeveloped countries, particularly under the conditions imposed by this pandemic, is unpayable and uncollectable and should be cancelled.

In this complex context, the Non-Aligned Movement, the main political coordination mechanism of the countries of the South, must assume a key role in the defense of our peoples’ demands. Since its inception, the Movement has supported struggles against colonialism, neocolonialism and apartheid, in favor of the Palestinian cause, nuclear disarmament, peace and a new and more just, democratic, equitable international economic order.

In order to confront the COVID-19 pandemic, the Movement, under the leadership of Azerbaijan, has emphasized the role of the World Health Organization and the importance of solidarity and international cooperation. Cuba takes pride in having made a modest contribution to these efforts, despite the restrictions imposed by the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States and its cynical, brutal campaign against Cuba’s medical cooperation.

Inspired by the principles of Bandung and the Principles and Purposes of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries agreed at the Fourteenth Summit held in Havana in 2006, the preservation of peace should be our most urgent goal in view of the present global context. Our movement includes the majority of all countries and UN member states. If we stand together, our voice cannot be ignored. The Movement will always be able to count on Cuba in this endeavor.

Thus, we strongly believe that, as was stated by Comandante en jefe Fidel Castro Ruz at the Seventh Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement held in New Delhi, India, and I quote: “the Non-Aligned countries will continue advancing in their inalienable role as defenders of peace, national independence and development; strengthening our cohesion and unity and honorably fulfilling the difficult duties imposed on us by these critical times.”

Thank you, very much.

In another tweet, Rodríguez noted that 2019 was a positive year for Cuba’s relations with the European Union (EU) and its member states, noting as an example the Second Joint Cuba-EU Council meeting and the political talks conducted based on the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDA) between the European body and our country.

In defense of multilateralism to support peace on the planet, Cuban President, Miguel Díaz-Canel has expressed that given the open contempt of the United States and other governments for the just claims of nations of the South; the politicization of human rights; flagrant disrespect for the right of peoples to choose their own political, socio-economic and cultural systems; the lack of commitment to multilateralism and international treaties, others may be indifferent, but “Not us, because all these are attacks on our peoples.

“The Non-Aligned Movement, which had weakened at the end of the Cold War, has returned to the spirit of Bandung, the declaration that gave it life, mobilized by the dramatic course of events and the crisis of multilateralism that is now putting the United Nations system at risk.

“Cuba maintains a firm commitment to the strengthening and consolidation of multilateralism and international treaties in the area of disarmament, in particular the goal of achieving a world free of nuclear weapons,” he added.

(Granma)

Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla told The Associated Press that while the U.S. administration has cut off most communication with Cuba and is trying to pressure the communist government by restricting the flow of oil, progress made under former U.S. President Barack Obama has not been undone.

“I would describe myself as very optimistic,” Rodríguez said. “There’s a historical trend that’s irreversible.”

He said relations between the two countries would never return to the way they were before December 2014, when Obama and then-Cuban President Raul Castro declared that they would reestablish diplomatic relations.

“There have been levels of communication and mutual familiarity between the peoples of both countries that are irreversible,” Rodríguez said.

He said Cuba was prepared for a worsening of tensions during the presidential campaign season because the Trump administration believes that Cuban Americans in South Florida support a hard line on the island.

He called that an “erroneous political calculation.”

“I believe it has been proven that the majority of Cubans in Florida support the progress achieved in the normalization of relations and the lifting of the blockade, and the younger they are, the more they support it,” Rodríguez said. “In any event, political moments are ephemeral. We have the political will to advance without delay.”

He also says Cuba is finding ways to buy oil despite U.S. attempts to stop it by imposing sanctions on shipping firms and threatening third countries, insurance firms and others as a way of retaliation for helping Cuba obtain petroleum. The Trump administration says it is trying to force Cuba to stop supporting President Nicolas Maduro, whom the U.S. says receives military and intelligence help from Cuba.

Oil shortages led to cutbacks in government fuel consumption and distribution last month, resulting in long lines at gas stations and reductions in public transport.

“We’ve increased our ability to transport (oil). The way the world works today makes it impossible for the United States to impede the arrival of oil tankers in Cuba,” Rodríguez said.

The Cuban foreign minister flatly denied that his country was providing any military, security or intelligence help to Venezuela, contradicting President Donald Trump’s Sept. 24 accusation before the U.N. General Assembly that “Maduro is a Cuban puppet protected by Cuban bodyguards.”

“We don’t have a military presence in Venezuela. We don’t participate or assist military, security or intelligence operations,” Rodríguez said. “The relationship between Cuba and Venezuela is a pretext … they’re attacking the successful (Cuban) political model, which works, which is a successful economic and social model, because it’ has withstood six decades despite the (U.S.) blockade.”

(Granma)

During the Council meeting, according to the official website of Cuba’s Foreign Ministry, the parties reviewed progress on implementation of the Agreement on Political Dialogue and Cooperation (ADPC), signed in 2016 between Cuba and the European Union and its member states.

Previously, on September 3, the first meeting of the Joint Committee between Cuba and the European Union, which assists the Council in fulfilling its functions and obligations, was also held in Havana. On this occasion, the Cuban delegation was headed by Emilio Lozada García, general director for Bilateral Affairs at the Foreign Ministry, and a European Union delegation, led by Hugo Sobral, deputy director for the Americas witin the European External Action Service.

The first Cuba-European Union Joint Council took place in Belgium on May 15, 2018. During the meeting, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla and the head of European diplomacy, Federica Mogherini, signed a cooperation agreement involving 18 million euros, to support the development of renewable energies in the Caribbean nation, Prensa Latina reported.

The high level meeting was agreed upon when the Agreement on Political Dialogue and Cooperation entered into effect November 1, 2017, with which a new framework was established for the ties between the Cuba and the regional bloc.

(Granma)