ROME, November 16. — Cuba has condemned the
attitude of the rich countries who were absent from
the Heads of State or Government meeting at the FAO
Food Security Summit taking place in this capital.
In a statement to PL, Ulises Rosales del Toro,
head of the Cuban delegation in Rome and vice
president of the Council of Ministers, highlighted
the fact that those present must accept that food
should not be used as an instrument of political
pressure.
This is a battle that our country has waged for
many years and which, on this occasion, has reached
the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)
Summit, he commented.
The importance of cooperation and solidarity was
also reconfirmed, as was the need to abstain from
adopting unilateral measures that do not comply with
international law and endanger food security, he
added.
Likewise a member of the Political Bureau of the
Communist Party of Cuba and minister of agriculture,
Rosales del Toro criticized the absence of the world’s
most powerful nations who do not appear to have the
courage to face representatives of the developing
countries.
Now they cannot justify themselves, he stated,
referring to unfulfilled promises of aid in order to
eradicate world hunger.
With respect to the validity of the FAO Summit,
Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Abelardo Moreno stated
that the issue is not to cancel the meeting but to
highlight the attitude of the rich countries, which
are not only responsible for the current situation
but also for the global financial crisis. (PL)
