Eighteenth Mnoal Summit, scene for denunciation
The President of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, opened the general debate of the 18th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement (Mnoal), dedicated to the “Defense of the Bandung Principles to ensure a concerted and adequate response to the challenges of the contemporary world”.
Diaz-Canel denounced the aggression and interventions, and the pernicious manoeuvres suffered by Non-Aligned countries during the Cold War, when it was supposed that by not belonging to one bloc or another, we would be free from wars.
The Cuban president stated that “once again, as in 1961, it is crucial that we work together, adhering to the founding principles of Bandung, for the peace and development of the peoples. Because that is our responsibility as politicians and because no one will do it for us.”
Another denunciation made by the Cuban President was the politicization of human rights, the meddling in the internal affairs of the peoples, as well as the right to decide their political system. He also criticized the lack of commitment to international agreements.
“In the 21st century, threats and aggression of varying degrees rain down on all sovereign governments that refuse to serve the hegemonic power to install military bases, hand over their resources or give in to their mandate,” said Diaz-Canel.
He cited the heroic Venezuela, which is the subject of the most perverse accusations, and describes as infamous and cynical the accusation against Venezuela of being an instrument of Cuba.
On behalf of the Cuban people, he thanked the Non-Aligned Movement for its historic position of condemning and rejecting the blockade of more than five decades against our country and the Helms-Burton Law, of a marked extraterritorial character, which expresses the exacerbated degree of aggressiveness of the United States against the resistance of the Cuban people.
On the other hand, the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, assumed the presidency of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) with the commitment to uphold and respect its founding principles.
Aliyev received the mandate at the 18th summit of the Movement that began today in the majestic capital of Azerbaijan, whose skyscrapers are reflected in the calm waters of the Caspian Sea.
The President of Iran, Hassan Rohani, denounced in front of the Mnoal that Washington is trying to illegally impose economic objectives on independent nations. He also urged the movement to intervene in favour of the final settlement of the conflicts in Palestine, Yemen, Syria, and Afghanistan.
Finally, he highlighted the participation of his country together with Russia and Turkey in order to maintain stability in Syria. The Azerbaijani leader spoke out in defence of the principles of international law and the integrity of countries.
After his speech, the Azeri leader gave the floor to the president of the UN General Assembly, the Nigerian Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, who reaffirmed the coincidence between the Mnoal and the world’s highest body in the defense of peace, respect for international law and the Charter of the United Nations.
Muhammad-Bande recognized that the Security Council does not represent the reality of the 21st century which should be reformed along with other UN bodies.
Written by Jorge Lora
