Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío said that the declared policy of the current US government's foreign policy team is aggressive.

Washington.- “They themselves have said that their purpose is to continue putting economic pressure on Cuba, to continue creating hardships for the Cuban economy and thus provoke greater problems for the well-being of Cubans, for living conditions in the country,” the deputy foreign minister stressed in an interview with Prensa Latina. “They themselves have declared it and have threatened to take additional measures, some say they are unprecedented,” he added.

“It remains to be seen exactly what they are going to do, but one should not be surprised that they have the will and the ability to continue punishing the Cuban people as a whole on the basis of coercive economic measures, aimed at closing off Cuba’s sources of financing, access to markets, access to technology,” the diplomat argued, stressing that this is naturally a violation of international law, a violation of the UN Charter, and that these are aggressive actions that the United Nations system rightly condemns.

De Cossío explained that “given the statements made by the United States foreign policy apparatus with respect to Cuba, it is difficult to think that there could be an improvement in the short term,” but he recalled that “Cuba has gone through such periods in the past and that possibility cannot be ruled out.” However, “there would have to be a change of attitude on the part of the United States Government,” he said, insisting that “on the part of Cuba, we have been consistent throughout the history of the Revolution.”

The official stressed that “we are willing to maintain a respectful relationship with the United States that is constructive and beneficial for both countries.” “Naturally, always respecting the sovereign rights of each party and we firmly defend the sovereign rights of Cuba,” he emphasized.

“We are sure that if such a relationship were to be built, it would be beneficial for both countries and that the differences we have could be dealt with in a respectful manner, in a civilized manner and through dialogue, as Cuba does with all the countries of the world, in which the United States is the exception,” the official concluded. (PL)