June 21, 2021.     President of the 75th session of the General Assembly, H.E. Volkan Bozkir meets with Bruno Eduardo Rodríguez Parilla, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba who is participating in UN General  Assembly annual debate on the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba at UN world headquarters in New York, NY. (Volkan Bozkirtwitter.com)

By Gary Raynaldo     DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

UNITED NATIONS   –    NEW  YORK  –  The President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Volkan Bozkir, met Monday with H.E. Bruno Eduardo Rodríguez Parrilla, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba at UN world headquarters.  Rodríguez Parilla is participating in UN General  Assembly annual debate on the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba on Wednesday.  “The President of the  UN GA  thanked Minister Rodríguez Parrilla of Cuba for his personal presence at the UN, despite COVID related limitations and concerns, which reflected Cuban commitment to multilateralism and most importantly to the United Nations,”  according to a statement from the  UN GA.    “The President praised the role played by Cuba within the work of the General Assembly, both in general and during the 75th session in particular.”

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez also met with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York. On June 23, Cuba will submit its resolution against the US trade embargo to the UN member states, who have overwhelmingly adopted the document for 27 years in a row.  The  US embargo is rooted in the Cold War, when Fidel Castro and his revolutionaries seized power.

“The blockade has caused incalculable humanitarian damages. It is a flagrant, massive and systematic violation of human rights. It qualifies as an act of genocide under Articles II (b) and (c) of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, adopted in 1948. There is not one single Cuban family that has not suffered the consequences of this.”

-Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez