The State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation appeals to the participants of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, the parliaments of member states of the United Nations and international parliamentary organizations with a call for an immediate and complete end to the economic, trade and financial blockade of the Republic of Cuba organized by the leadership of the United States America and became a way of multifaceted pressure on the Cuban people.
The State Duma confirms the firm and unchanging position set out in documents adopted in previous years in connection with the need to end Washington’s policy of pressure towards Havana.
The State Duma expresses its strong protest against the gross violation by the United States of America of the fundamental principles of international law, which is manifested in systematic attempts to intimidate the Republic of Cuba and numerous inhumane actions to deprive its people of the material resources necessary for a decent life.
Currently, as a result of the economic, trade and financial blockade organized by the United States of America, a difficult economic and humanitarian situation has developed in the Republic of Cuba, which is aggravated by the consequences of a number of natural and man-made disasters.
The illegal actions of the American authorities against the people of the Republic of Cuba negatively affect their well-being, jeopardize the right to a dignified existence of millions of Cubans, harm their health, cause moral and physical suffering, and limit their ability to receive vital medical care. Artificially provoking a humanitarian crisis through a blockade creates conditions for an increase in the number of premature deaths and a decrease in the birth rate.
The sanctions measures implemented by the United States of America against the Republic of Cuba are extraterritorial in nature and directly impede the building of equal and mutually beneficial relations with Cuba by a number of states and international organizations, including the fields of energy, agriculture, healthcare, tourism, and humanitarian cooperation.
The State Duma states that, under the conditions of many years of economic, trade and financial blockade by the United States of America, the people of the Republic of Cuba remain unwaveringly determined to firmly defend their sovereignty and social gains. The readiness of the Cubans to confidently follow the path of defending national independence makes the blockade meaningless and dooms it to inevitable failure.
The policy of unilateral sanctions has demonstrated its complete ineffectiveness. The practice of their use has proven their inability to restrain the aspirations of peoples for freedom and independence. Such a policy only prolongs and multiplies the moral and physical suffering of people, while creating precedents of unacceptable pressure and blackmail. This assessment applies to all regions of the world and fully applies to the situation in the Republic of Cuba.
The State Duma appeals to the General Assembly of the United Nations, the parliaments of member states of the United Nations and international parliamentary organizations to condemn the illegal economic, trade and financial blockade of the Republic of Cuba by the United States of America, to develop and implement practical measures to encourage Washington to end long-term blockade of Cuba, stop pressure on the Cuban people, guarantee respect for the generally recognized principles and norms of international law.
Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation V.V. Volodin