Cuba and the U.S.A. to Speak on Tuesday about HR

HAVANA, Cuba, March 31 (acn) Representatives of Cuba and the United States will sit today in Washington D.C. to talk for the first time about human rights, an issue on which they have assured have profound differences.

Speaking to the press, Anayansi Rodriguez, Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations agencies in Geneva said in the U.S. capital that despite the differences between the two governments on the issue of political systems, democracy, human rights, of respect for international law, they expect to hold a dialogue away from any conditioning and interference in internal affairs.
We come with the conviction that it is possible to have a civilized dialogue on any topic, including human rights, always attached to the principle of sovereign equality of States, asserted the diplomat.
For his part, Pedro Luis Pedroso, deputy director general for Multilateral Affairs and International Law of the Cuban Foreign Ministry, who also chairs the delegation of the island to the talks, said last week that the Cuban party expects a constructive scenario on a reciprocal basis without conditionings.
In this context, Cuba will speak about its achievements in HR, as it illustrated in the last periodic review of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
On this subject, Anayansi Rodriguez said that among the possible issues to be addressed is the importance of the mechanism of the Universal Periodic Review, a non-discriminatory instrument, given the commitment of both countries with the mechanisms of global cooperation in the field of human rights, she specified.
"We have goals to reach, like all nations, but we will expound the recognition of the international community of the important achievements of Cuba in the areas of education, health, access to cultural rights and also the island's contribution to the development of many other countries where we have been present with cooperation," underlined Pedroso.
As already stated, the Cuban delegation will also raise concerns about human rights in the United States and other places where that country has an impact.
Heading the group of U.S. representatives is Thomas Malinowski Deputy Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor of the Department of State.
Parallel to the process of resuming diplomatic ties, interrupted for more than five decades, the parties have discussed, or are planning to do so, about aviation, information technology, communications, legal and organized migration, mail, protected marine areas and hydrography.