New York, 25 April 2017. Ambassador Anayansi Rodríguez Camejo, Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations Organization attended the launching of the book “Cuba-US Relations: Normalization and its challenges”, at Columbia University. The book results from the joint work of the US academician Dr. Margaret Crahan, Director of the Cuba Program at the Institute for Latin American Studies of this higher-level study center and the Cuban researcher Soraya Castro, from the International Politics Study Center (CIPI), associated to the Higher Institute for International Relations.
Among other personalities of the academic world, the participants in the presentation were the University Rector, John Coastworth, Congressman Mike Kopetski and Professor Philip Brenner, international issues expert and researcher of the Cuban reality, as well as Dr. Crahan, representing the book co-authors.
During the exchange, Ambassador Rodríguez Camejo praised the joint effort resulting in this book and highlighted the relevant collaboration of Columbia University in the realization of this project, which she defined as another step forward within the efforts to achieve the effective normalization of the relations between Cuba and the United States.
The head of the Caribbean nation’s diplomatic mission addressed the current state of the bilateral relations, stressing Cuba’s willingness to continue making progress towards a civilized neighborly relationship, based upon equality, reciprocity and respect for the Island’s sovereignty and independence. She also referred to the main stages of this process since its beginning, in December 2014, until now, as well as the challenges yet to overcome, particularly the blockade imposed by the United States which –she expressed- continues to be the greatest obstacle for Cuba’s economic development and to advance in the process of normalization of bilateral relations.
Within the lively exchange of views, there were other issues of interest for the auditorium, among them, the updating of the Cuban economic model and the policy for foreign investment in the Island.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations