[NYTr] Cuba's Foreign Policy Successes in 2007

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Granma Daily - Dec 28, 2007
http://www.granma.cubaweb.cu/english/news/art23.html


Foreign Policy Successes in 2007

The Cuban legislature’s ten standing committees met on Wednesday and
Thursday as a prelude to the full parliament session on Friday

By DEISY FRANCIS MEXIDOR

"The year 2007 brought key victories and results for Cuban foreign
policy," said Foreign Minister and National Assembly member Felipe
Perez Roque on Thursday at a meeting of the International Relations
Committee of the Cuban parliament in Havana.

Felipe noted that during the year, "the strategic victory of Cuba
against US attempts to isolate the revolution," was even more
significant. Today, he said, Cuba has diplomatic ties with 186 nations,
the highest number ever achieved.

The Foreign minister reported that Cuba received some 500 delegations
from abroad during the year, including more than 20 heads of state and
government and 16 foreign ministers.

He added that rejection increased of the US blockade at the United
Nations and that the anti-Cuban mandate on human rights ceased to
exist. In addition, Cuba was elected with an extremely large vote as a
member of the executive committee of the UN Organization for Science,
Culture and Education (UNESCO).

Perez Roque further noted that Cuba’s strategic relations with
Venezuela and China were boosted during 2007.

Likewise, he said that the island’s cooperation programs with Third
World countries increased, "as one of the pillars of our foreign
policy."

The International Relations Committee also reviewed its work during the
Sixth legislature of the Cuban parliament (2003-2008).