Tokyo, Japan.- The Vice Minister of Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba, Fernando Gonzalez, denounced in Japan the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States against his country.

During the annual Ministerial Roundtable as part of the 10th Meeting of the Regional Action for Climate Change initiative, which concludes on Tuesday in Japan, he emphasized that the United States action has a negative impact on all spheres of Cuban life, including science and technology.

The Vice Minister stressed the spite of this policy rejected in the world; the Cuban government has important achievements in education, science, public health and the development of a remarkable scientific-technical infrastructure.

In Cuba, as a result of the adverse economic conditions caused by the blockade and the economic war, problems have accumulated that generate weaknesses in the System of Science, Technology and Innovation,’ said Gonzalez, quoted by the Cuban ambassador, Carlos Miguel Pereira.

The damages accrued by the blockade during almost six decades of application reach the figure of 933,678 million dollars, taking into account the depreciation of the dollar against the value of gold in the international market.

The 10th Meeting, which is held at the Kyoto Convention Centre, some 453 kilometres south-west of Tokyo, aims to analyse the economic, social and environmental challenges posed by climate change.

The Round Table of Ministers of Science and Technology was attended by Ministers, Scientific Advisors and senior authorities from more than 35 countries linked to this field, with a call to strengthen international cooperation and the effective promotion of science, technology and innovation for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, considering the economic and social reality of each nation.