Brussels, Belgium.- Cuba and the European Union (EU) confirmed the broad areas of convergence that they have in the field of disarmament, during a meeting held in the context of the implementation of the Agreement on Political Dialogue and Cooperation between the parts.
According to a statement, representatives of the Caribbean nation and the regional bloc on Thursday had the first dialogue on ‘Disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction’ and on ‘Illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons and other conventional weapons.’
The session was chaired by Ambassador Jacek Bylica, special envoy for disarmament and non-proliferation and the European External Action Service, and Ambassador Rodolfo Reyes, general director of Multilateral Affairs and International Law of the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
‘In the meeting it was found that, in terms of disarmament, the European Union and Cuba have broad areas of convergence,’ the text said.
The importance of moving towards general and complete disarmament as a way to safeguard peace, international security and achieve sustainable development objectives was also highlighted.
On the Cuban side, the high priority given to the disarmament sphere was highlighted, a country that was the fifth State to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
The delegation of the island highlighted the value of the right of peoples to peace and in that sense defended the full application of the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, which was signed by the heads of State and Government of the region in the II Celac Summit, in 2014.
The communique added that opinions and experiences were exchanged on the confrontation with the illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons and other conventional weapons, and the willingness of both parties to contribute to national efforts and the work of the United Nations in this area.
In this context, the Cuban side claimed the legitimate right of all States to acquire and possess small arms and light weapons and conventional weapons in order to meet their legitimate security and national defense needs. The affectations generated by the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed on Cuba by the United States government, particularly in international cooperation under the Conventions on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and Biological Weapons, were also addressed.
At the same time, the text indicated, the will was restated to address all issues on the basis of full respect for sovereign equality, independence, legality and non-interference in the internal affairs of the parties, even though there are different positions regarding some of them.