Mrs president:

In addition to what was disclosed on behalf of the Group of 77 member countries and China, the Cuban delegation wished to add the following in its national capacity.

We warmly welcome His Holiness, Mr. Santiago Cafiero, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of the sister Republic of Argentina, and accompanying delegation.

We join the speech given by Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on behalf of CELAC.

Since the adoption of resolution 2065 (XX) by the United Nations General Assembly, nearly six decades ago, the issue of the Malvinas Islands is a matter of vital and permanent concern to the International Community.

There were 40 resolutions adopted by the Decolonization Committee, in addition to 12 approved by the General Assembly.

2065(XX) resolution is clear. The matter of Malvinas, South Georgia, the South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime area is a sovereignty dispute between the Republic of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The dispute must be resolved through negotiations between the two States, taking into account the fundamental provisions and objectives of the Charter of the United Nations and Resolution 1514 (XV) of the General Assembly.

Mrs president:

Cuba reaffirms its unrestricted support for Argentina’s legitimate rights in the sovereignty disputes over the Malvinas, South Sandwich and South Georgia Islands, as well as the surrounding maritime area, which are part of the sister nation’s Latin American national territory.

Support for Argentina’s legitimate rights in disputes over sovereignty has also been reaffirmed at the highest levels in various forums in our region, including the Community of Latin America and Caribbean States (CELAC).

Other regional groups, such as ALADI, OLADE, SICA and ALBA, as well as the Ibero-American Summit, have demanded a resumption of negotiations to find, as soon as possible, a peaceful solution to the dispute.

We believe that sending a visiting mission to the Malvinas Archipelago would be inconsistent with the Committee’s practice regarding the use of this mechanism, and related resolutions.

A visiting mission would be inappropriate in this case, as there was no self-governing level of colonization that C-24 had to evaluate on the spot.

Mrs president:

Latin America and the Caribbean are Zones of Peace. This was endorsed in the “Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace”, which was adopted by all Heads of State and/or Government of our region at the II CELAC Summit held in Havana, in 2014.

Carrying out military exercises in the geographical space of the Malvinas Islands contradicts the Proclamation and the pacifist calls expressed in it by 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries.

We hope that the Secretary General’s Good Offices Mission on the Malvinas Question will be a useful tool in bringing the parties closer to the negotiating table.

Cuba reiterates its call for a negotiated, fair and definitive solution to the Malvinas problem in the shortest possible time, guaranteeing respect for Argentina’s territorial integrity.

Thank you very much.