Cuba ratified today before the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) the commitment to make available to developing nations the progress achieved by its scientific community in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a speech before the Summit of the Contact Group of the Non-Aligned Movement, which is meeting in Azerbaijan's capital city, Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa called on the 120 members of this important group to make use of the Caribbean island's biotechnological drugs.
"We invite the non-aligned countries to the clinical use of our biotechnological drugs," stressed the vice president, who heads the Cuban delegation to this meeting, which analyzes the work of the Mnoal in the recovery after Covid-19.
Valdés Mesa reiterated Cuba's willingness to support the anti-Covid-19 vaccination campaign wherever necessary.
He affirmed that under no circumstances will his nation cease to show solidarity. "We have demonstrated it, including by sending 58 medical brigades to 42 countries and territories" during the health crisis, he recalled.
He stressed that despite the tightening of the blockade imposed by the United States on the island to unprecedented levels, Cuba developed five vaccine candidates, three of which became highly effective vaccines against Covid-19.
Our country is among those with the highest vaccination rates worldwide, with 90.3 percent of its population immunized with three doses, he emphasized.
"The effort deployed by the Cuban scientific and medical community also made it possible to manufacture pulmonary ventilators when the restrictions of the blockade prevented us from importing them" in the midst of a health emergency, he added.
He assured that Cuba currently has a greater capacity to respond to critical situations and is taking advantage of existing capabilities, which contributed to strengthening its biotechnological and medical-pharmaceutical industry and its health system.
The Cuban vice-president urged all governments, international organizations and donors, without exception, to mobilize the necessary financial resources, transfer technologies, make capacity-building mechanisms viable and comply with their Official Development Assistance commitments.
He remarked that these aspects are vital for post-pandemic recovery, based on strict respect for the sovereignty of the recipient countries.
He pointed out that it is up to the NAM to continue promoting international cooperation and solidarity to face the challenges that the Movement faces.
Valdés Mesa asserted that in its current capacity as Chair of the Group of 77 and China, Cuba will work tirelessly to represent and defend the legitimate interests of developing countries.
"Let us unite and coordinate actions between both groupings to assert the just demands and aspirations of our nations of the South. To that end, you can always count on Cuba's support and solidarity," he stressed.
Finally, he expressed his gratitude for the strong support of the NAM to the legitimate demand for the end of the economic, commercial and financial siege imposed by the United States on the Cuban people for more than six decades.
He also condemned the group's condemnation of the arbitrary inclusion of Cuba in the spurious list of state sponsors of terrorism, unilaterally drawn up by Washington.