Cuba, Iran Vow To Strengthen Ties, Condemning U.S. Sanctions

Bruno Rodriguez

HAVANA, Nov 7 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) – Cuban Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodriguez, met here with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, vowing to enhance bilateral relations and railing against U.S. sanctions.

Rodriguez said, Zarif’s visit will help continue deepening high-level political dialogue, as well as, economic, commercial, cultural, scientific and academic links between the two countries.

“The Republic of Cuba reiterates its condemnation of unilateral and coercive measures, imposed by the U.S. administration on the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said Rodriguez, adding that, the Iranian people are entitled “to peacefully use nuclear energy.”

He also thanked the Iranian government for its opposition to the U.S. blockade against Cuba, which has been in place since 1962.

U.S. President, Donald Trump’s administration has intensified the blockade, barring U.S. cruise ships and yachts from sailing to the island, banning U.S. flights to Cuban cities, except Havana, and putting limits on remittances from Cuban Americans back to their families in the Caribbean nation.

Zarif praised the Cuban government for its “magnificent success in scoring one of the best records in dealing with COVID-19,” saying, the island’s medical professionals not only have helped preserve the life of its people but also that of “many others around the world.”

“Iran and Cuba have stood together in the face of pressures from the United States, including economic terrorism, medical terrorism and other forms of terrorism, which target the peoples of Iran and Cuba.”

He added that the two governments will ensure that cooperation, particularly in the fields of energy, science and technology, will not be affected by the U.S. sanctions.

As part of his tour of Latin America, Zarif met with Venezuelan authorities in Caracas, prior to his trip to Cuba, and he will also attend the inauguration of Bolivian president-elect, Luis Arce, tomorrow.