Ghana Against United States Embargo On Cuba - Rawlings

Cape Coast,(Central Region) 19, Sept. President Jerry John Rawlings today lashed out at the United States embargo against Cuba and said ''Ghana views the embargo as morally wrong''. The head of state said to deny a sovereign state, a member of the international community, the benefits derived from external trade is indefensible. President Rawlings was addressing the second Africa-Cuba solidarity conference at the auditorium of the University of Cape Coast. The four-day conference, in its second day, has as its theme ''Free trade and national sovereignty'' and it is being attended by delegates from several countries including Cuba, U.S., Angola, South Africa, Mozambique and Nigeria. The conference is a follow-up to the one held in South Africa last year. President Rawlings said attempts by the U.S. to broaden the embargo to cover trade between Cuba and other countries has generated legitimate international concern. Ghana is against the embargo and against any law that violates two important principles of international law - non-interference in the internal affairs of another and the right of all nations to determine their own paths of social development, he told the conference. The Head of State said Ghana, as a country committed to the principles of non-interference and the right of all nations to determine their own paths, has always supported the United Nations general assembly resolutions which, among other things, call for an end to the embargo. President Rawlings said increasing opposition to the tightening of the embargo against Cuba has weakened the U.S. position because its own allies consider it as without any basis in international law. The application of the Helms-Burton law which forbids U.S overseas subsidiaries to trade with Cuba and threatens to punish any country that trades with Cuba has been criticised vehemently by the European Union, Canada, Japan and several Latin American states. These governments consider the application of those laws outside the U.S. as unacceptable, President Rawlings stated. He said in recent years relations between states which were former adversaries have changed to cordial co-operation and that the U.S. is currently reaching out to former antagonists in an effort to strengthen understanding in the areas of international security and peace. International organisations, he said, are being transformed to reflect the new spirit of global co-operation and inter-dependence. President Rawlings appealed to President Bill Clinton and the U.S. congress to reconsider their stand against Cuba and to ensure that Cuba has the right to choose her path. The Head of State said Cuba has not collapsed after the fall of the Soviet Union and that this is because Cubans have not governed themselves in a medium of fear. ''As we approach the end of this century, let us invoke our collective moral authority in a call to all nations to reflect this new spirit in all their international dealings without exception''. President Rawlings said Ghana is drawing international attention through the conference to the rights of the people of Cuba to benefit from their hard work and commitment to social justice. The conference, in addition to providing the delegates a forum to affirm their convictions, ''affords us an opportunity to learn from the experiences of others'', he said. President Rawlings said Cuba has sacrificed her life in the quest for freedom and it is essential for developing countries to acknowledge that ''our lack of development is not inevitable''. ''The ultimate responsibility for confronting and addressing the challenges we face rests with ourselves and with an international community which accepts the imperatives of our mutual inter-dependence. ''We must create an informed public which is both receptive to our needs and also appreciative of our achievements''. President Rawlings said Ghana expects the conference to illuminate the path in the search for global equity and understanding. ''We must grasp every initiative that will strengthen a just cause. ''Wars, economic blockades in pursuit of narrow interests and the violation of the sovereignty of small states should have no place in the new global relationships which we are trying to build. This must be the conerstone of the new international order''. Professor Kofi Awoonor, a Minister of state, said over the years, Cuba has demonstrated ''internationalism'' playing host to thousands of students from Africa. These students have completed their courses in various professions and are contributing to the development of their countries. ''This example of Cuba is unparalelled in the world'', he said. Professor Awoonor spoke about the new world order after the collapse of communism in eastern Europe and said following it the U.S. has restored relations with Vietnam against whom it fought resulting in the death of millions of Vietnamese and U.S. citizens. The U.S., he said also enjoys good relations with China and asked ''if the U.S. can work out relations with these communist countries, why not Cuba?''. Professor Awoonor described President Clinton ''as humane and a man of compassion'' and appealed to him ''to let Cuba live by removing the blockade.'' ''President Clinton, let Cuba live by removing the Helms-Burton law. Let Cuba live by visiting the island''.