Cuban ambassador: Smaller countries should defend their interests more vigorously
MINSK, 1 November (BelTA) – Smaller countries should defend their interests and their vision more vigorously, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Cuba to Belarus Santiago Perez Benitez told the media on the margins of the 2nd Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security on 1 November, BelTA has learned.
«We need to listen to each other. I think it is a brilliant idea of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Belarusian government to create such a platform where we can exchange views,»the ambassador said.
Speaking about such measures of influence on sovereign states as economic sanctions, Ambassador Santiago Perez Benitez stated that primarily the United States is interested in this. «This is a tool of their foreign policy. If they are able to achieve their goals by military force, they impose sanctions to slow down our achievements, hurt our countries, our people and poison their minds against the people’s governments,» he said.
Ambassador Santiago Perez Benitez noted that the United States pursues such a policy towards Cuba. «The situation with electricity in Cuba [the failure of thermal power plants and complete shutdown of the country’s energy system] is the result of the embargo. They would like to do the same with Belarus and Russia. But you are different. You have each other,» the ambassador added.
He also shared his opinion about the speech of Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko at the 2nd Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security: «It was so clear and meaningful. He outlined his viewpoints on security, migration, and other issues.»
Ambassador Santiago Perez Benitez is sure that smaller countries should defend their interests and their vision of the world more vigorously. «We should also cooperate with our friends — Russia, China, Iran. No one forbids us to be proactive,» he concluded.
