Cuba and the European Union hold consultations on disarmament

HAVANA, Cuba, Oct 15 (ACN) Cuba and the European Union held a virtual meeting on Wednesday as part of the second edition of the dialogue on "Disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction" and "Illicit trade in small arms and light weapons and other conventional weapons".

During the meeting, both sides confirmed that in disarmament matters they have wide common areas, according to a statement made by the Cuban foreign ministry.
The meeting, which is taking place in the context of the implementation of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) between the Caribbean country, the regional block and its member States, was chaired by ambassador Rodolfo Reyes Rodriguez, director general of multilateral affairs and international law of the Cuban foreign ministry, and ambassador Marjolijn van Deelen, special envoy of the European Union for disarmament and non-proliferation.
The heads of both delegations stressed the importance of advancing towards general and complete disarmament, as a way to safeguard peace, international security and contribute to achieving sustainable development goals.
The Cuban side highlighted nuclear disarmament as the highest priority in this field, and the relevance of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which Cuba was the fifth State to ratify.
It also reaffirmed the right of the nations to peace and, in that sense, defended the full implementation of the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, which was signed by the region's Heads of State and Government at the Second Summit of CELAC, held in Havana, in 2014.
The experts shared opinions and experiences on the fight against the illicit traffic of small arms and light weapons and other conventional weapons, ratifying the willingness of both sides to contribute to the work carried out by the United Nations in these areas.
As a prelude to the political segment, the meeting by videoconference between representatives of Cuban and European civil society, respectively, took place on October 13.