The Hague, Nederland.- Cuba reaffirmed in The Hague its position of principle in favor of general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control, which includes the prohibition and elimination of all these weapons of mass destruction.

That was the position defended by First Deputy Minister for Science, Technology and the Environment (CITMA), Fernando Gonzalez Bermudez, when speaking at the general debate of the Fourth Review Conference of the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

The representative of the Caribbean nation asserted that the destruction of all categories of chemical weapons is still one of the key goals of the Organization and should be completed by the Possessor State as soon as possible and in accordance to verification.

He also referred to the importance of fostering the economic and technological development of States Parties, particularly the least developed, and called for the full, effective and non-discriminatory implementation of Article 11 of the Convention.

In this regard, he denounced the unilateral blockade policy imposed by the United States government against Cuba, which constitutes a violation of the provisions of the article.

He also highlighted two national documents issued by Cuba during the Conference: one on the effects caused by the blockade on the Cuban chemical industry during the past five years, and another on the main activities carried out by our country to comply with the Convention.

Besides participating in the Conference, the Vice Minister also completes a bilateral work program in the Netherlands including meetings with Dutch counterparts for the promotion of the fundamental elements of the Life Task, as the national strategy to confront climate change is called.