Cuba and European Union discuss disarmament

Havana, Nov 22 (Prensa Latina) Representatives of Cuba and the European Union (EU) discussed disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on Tuesday.

According to the Foreign Ministry, this was the third edition of the debate, which also addressed the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, and other conventional weapons.

The talks, held in a virtual format, allowed for exchanges on common issues on the multilateral disarmament and international security agenda between Cuba and the European bloc.

The delegations, headed by the director general of Multilateral Affairs and International Law at the Cuban Foreign Ministry, Rodolfo Benitez, and the EU special envoy for disarmament and non-proliferation, Marjolijn van Deelen, described the talks as fruitful and agreed to continue next year.

The Cuban delegation expressed its commitment to nuclear disarmament and stressed the relevance of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

In addition, it reiterated its pride in belonging to the first region in the world to proclaim itself a Zone of Peace, the press release noted.

According to the source, the delegations shared experiences on confronting the illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons and exchanged viewpoints on emerging challenges, such as the development of lethal autonomous weapons systems and the use of cyberspace for hostile and military purposes.

They also addressed the effects caused by the blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba in international cooperation, within the framework of the Conventions on Chemical Weapons and Biological Weapons.