Ban Ki-moon Highlights Cuba’s Contribution to Peace in Colombia

HAVANA, Cuba, Sep 27 (acn) Army General Raul Castro, President of the Cuban councils of State and Ministers and the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, met on Saturday in New York in the context of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, scheduled to conclude on Sunday.
Prensa Latina reported that, during the meeting, the secretary general of the UN highlighted the process towards normalization of relations between Cuba and the United States.
On Saturday, the Cuban president referred at the General Assembly to the recent reestablishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the reopening of embassies.
He also noted the changes U.S. President Barack Obama has declared on policy towards Cuba, as an important step forward towards normalization of relations.
However, he insisted that the economic, financial and commercial blockade imposed by the U.S. on Cuba for over five decades persists, a siege that causes damages and hardships to the Cuban people.
He also reaffirmed that the blockade is the main obstacle to Cuba's economic development and affects other nations for its extraterritorial scope and harms the interests of U.S. citizens and companies.
During Saturday's meeting, the secretary general of the UN praised Cuba’s important role as host and facilitator of negotiations for peace in Colombia.
He also underlined the leadership shown by the Cuban government in the fight against the Ebola epidemic in West Africa and its support for health systems in affected countries.
The Cuban President and the Secretary General also discussed other issues of Latin America and the Caribbean.