AIDE MEMOIRE

For almost 40 years, Cuba has denounced to the world the illegal and ruthless economic, trade and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against the Republic of Cuba, a matter that for eight consecutive years has been debated by the United Nations General Assembly. On every occasion, this body has adopted by an ever-increasing number of votes a resolution calling for the termination of this illegal and inhumane policy. Between 1992 and 1999, this Cuban resolution has received 59, 88, 101, 117, 137, 143, 157 and 155 votes in favour. The United States has only managed to obtain 3, 4, 2, 3, 3, 3, 2 and 2 votes, including its own.

Through such resolutions, an overwhelming majority of countries reject the enactment and implementation of extraterritorial laws and provisions affecting the sovereignty of other States, theinterests of entities and persons under their protection, as well as the freedom of trade and the seas. Likewise, all States are urged to abstain from enforcing such laws so that they can be immediately repealed.

The European Union and United Nations General Assembly’s rejections of this policy are well known. Time and again, diverse and numerous multilateral forums, international organisations, regional institutions and groups, parliaments, governments and personalities have expressed themselves clearly and explicitly against the blockade imposed on Cuba and the implementation of unilateral coercive and extraterritorial measures.

The main reason continues being the same. Political animosity and an all efforts to destroy the political and economic system and the values cherished by the Cuban nation have led the US Government to implement measures attempting against the stability and existence of the set of international regulations on intellectual property rights, trademarks and patents. The US Government has failed to realise that this policy could turn into a gigantic boomerang against its own country, which should be much more interested in fulfilling the international agreements reached on this subject.

Along with criticisms, the time has come for the international community to act towards preserving the sovereignty and self-determination of all States; to express itself against arbitrariness, extraterritoriality and the systematic violation of International Law, to defend the interests and dignity of all peoples in favour of the respect of all States, regardless of their size, level of economic development or the political and economic system freely chosen by its population.

The US Government has been presenting to the world the image of an alleged easing of the blockade against the Cuban nation, but in practice the blockade measures have become only more stringent through the exercise of harsher control and rigidity in its enforcement and the introduction of newer steps aimed at strengthening it.

During the last two years, were introduced in the Congress from the United States more than 10 legislative drafts with proposals directly to harden the blockade. Almost upon concluding the Congress, they have already been approved two projects of law that strengthening the sanctions against Cuba, and one of them has been curiously introduced like a “flexibility” of the blockade against our country.

The agreement reached in the US Congress on this 11^th October aimed at allowing the sale of medications and foodstuffs to Cuba – has been presented as a substantial change in the blockade that is really not accurate.

This proposal included in the Agriculture Appropriations Bill, whose version approved in the House and delivery to the Senate were “harmonized” with the lobby of the Cuban American legislators. This proposal was not related in any way to the constructive amendments aimed at allowing the sales of US medications and

foodstuffs to Cuba – as promoted and largely supported within the US Congress after the effort made by North American farmers and other sectors that increasingly question their country’s sanctions against Cuba.

Since enough support has failed to materialize in order to defeat these amendments, Cuban-American lobby in the US Congress and the Republican leadership have therefore infringed the required legislative procedures to impose – through dirty and anti-democratic tactics – a version intended to annul any positive effects of the original amendments. The version that was approved requires companies to secure a special permit from the US Government with a view to authorizing the sales of medications and foodstuffs. It does not matter whether it is a gram of rice or some aspirin. Also excluded is the possibility of gaining access in the United States to any public or private financing to engage in these transactions.

Even worse, this sloppy plan enshrine in a law the violation of the constitutional rights of North Americans to travel freely, thus perpetuating the ban on US citizens to travel to Cuba. This particular matters has been criticized too by the US president and others.

Should this maneuver come through, the US blockade against Cuba would remain intact. The US market would be closed to both

our products and services. Financial flows, air/maritime transportation or the worldwide assistance schemes in foreign trade would then be forbidden. The blockade sanctions in the financial sector would remain in force – as well as the prohibition that those vessels calling at a Cuban port cannot visit the United States until after six months. Investments in Cuba would not be allowed either – and the constraints preventing North Americans from traveling to our country would remain in place. There would be no repeal whatsoever of the Helms-Burton Act, the Torricelli

Amendment or the countless anti-Cuban amendments enacted as part of various US laws. In sum, the economic war of the US Government against Cuba is still on.

The Government from the United States has not given, neither could give guarantees to any country that it will limit the application of the extraterritorial clauses of the "Helms-Burton Law," because that faculty belongs to the Congress, and they have left clear that not will be any modification.

At the end, the amendments put forth by US Congressmen with the support of the farming community – that could have mean a step in the right direction – have been dismantled through pressures and anti-democratic maneuvers practiced by Cuban-American legislators and extremist sectors that oppose any modifications to the current policy of hostility against our country.

For Cuba, the real solution lies in the normalization of relations between both countries and the lifting of the genocidal blockade that has been unilaterally imposed against Cuba.

Cuba has reiterated and reiterates their disposition to negotiate all the problems bilateral with the United States, included the compensation matters.

The Cuban Government – while reiterating its willingness to maintain normal trade relations with US companies – makes it clear that this bill passed under such discriminatory and humiliating conditions, Cuba will not engage in any trade transactions whatsoever with the United States.

The so-called easing is aimed at promoting only the demobilisation of sectors that are promoting the real removal of the blockade in medicines, foods and free travel.

The United States utilises as the pretext in order to justify their criminal politics against Cuba, the nationalization of North American properties in Cuba in the years 60, did according to the Law, and establishing the mechanisms for a due compensation to the proprietors, according has been recognised for the own Supreme Court from United States. The United States opted for the blockade instead of the negotiation and refused to possibilities of payment established in the Cuban legislation, depriving to their own citizens of the rights to collect the compensation. The proprietors of other countries were opportune and properly compensated .

The economic damage caused to Cuba by the US blockade up until this present year in the order of US$ 100 000 millions.
It is estimated that in the last few years the blockade- related damage to our economy exceeds the country's yearly GDP by more that the 15%.

Cuba will introduce again in the Plenary of the 55 Period of Sessions of the General Assembly the project of Resolution that it attached. The text is the same approved in the 54 Period of Sessions. The topic 35 of the calendar will be examined in the Plenary of the General assembly the next 9 of November.

The Cuban Government hopes that the Government of Estonia could adopt, a compromise of supporting to the Cuban Resolution in the UN, following the whole support that exist inside of the European Union and the rest of Europe. Estonia is one of the two only countries in the whole Europe that takes a position of the abstention in this matter.

The vote in favour of this Resolution will indicate the Member States' support for international Law, freedom of international trade and navigation the norms of the world trade system, and States sovereignty It will also express their rejection to the application at extraterritorial laws.

Helsinki, 14^th October 2000