Vienna, March 10. Cuba’s Ambassador to Austria, Pablo Berti Oliva, spoke today at the high-level segment of the 69th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), which is being held in Vienna under the auspices of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
In his remarks, the Cuban diplomat reaffirmed the island’s unwavering commitment to preventing and combating the global drug problem, based on the principle of common and shared responsibility. He emphasized that Cuba maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward transnational organized crime and, specifically, the trafficking of drugs and illicit substances, with the firm determination of the State and the Government to fulfill their international commitments.
He also reported that, thanks to the intersectoral strategy implemented, Cuba has succeeded in not being a producer, transit, or destination country for narcotics bound for third nations. Over the past year, security forces and the popular surveillance system thwarted attempts to smuggle drugs through the detection of stashes and maritime and aerial operations, seizing tons of drugs that never reached their destinations of consumption.
“For Cuba, the fight against drugs is a matter of national security, but above all of health and well-being for our families,” stated Berti Oliva, who concluded by noting that “on this important issue, Cuba is not the problem; Cuba is part of the solution.”
(EmbaCubaAustria)