Your Excellencies, Esteemed President Ilham Aliyev, Distinguished Heads of State and Government, I thank Azerbaijan, the Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement, for calling to this meeting to exchange on the urgent and needed efforts which allow us to face COVID-19. I avail myself of this occasion to congratulate Uganda, which shall assume the NAM Chairmanship in the year of 2022. While assuring it Cuba´s full support, we wish Uganda success in the performance of such duty. Due to its seriousness, I must denounce the terrorist attack with an assault rifle and over 30 rounds that hit our embassy in Washington on April 30 last and demand from the United States government a thorough and swift investigation, harsh sanctions and security measures and guarantees for our diplomatic missions in its territory, as it must do under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Your Excellencies, NAM has shown its relevance in the present situation. That is attested by the Communiqués that have been adopted in support of the World Health Organization and concerning COVID-19 and which call for global unity and international solidarity and cooperation and also for putting aside political differences and eliminating unilateral coercive measures which violate International Law and the United Nations Charter and limit the capacity of States to deal with the pandemic efficiently.
