Deputy Foreign Minister Elio Rodríguez Perdomo addressed the First Review Forum on
International Migration in New York.

Havana, May 20 (RHC)-- Cuba's Deputy Foreign Minister Elio Rodríguez Perdomo reaffirmed the commitment of the island's Government to the goals of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration.

In remarks at the First Review Forum on International Migration in New York, the diplomat denounced that the reinforcement of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba exacerbates the challenges his country faces in complying with the Pact.

He stressed that this arbitrary measure causes discouragement among Cubans, given the deprivations and needs it provokes, encouraging irregular emigration.

Rodríguez Perdomo assured that even amid these circumstances, the Cuban Government would continue working in favor of regular, orderly, and safe migration.

He also stressed that with 281 million international migrants globally, it is essential to address the structural causes of this phenomenon, derived from the poverty, inequality, and inequity in which a large part of the world's population lives.

The Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs pointed out that contradictions and limitations prevail in current international policies. In many developed countries, there is still a rejection of migrants. Even political figures and some media outlets label them as a threat to the security and sovereignty of States.

In his concluding remarks, he stressed the need for cooperation among States as a fundamental basis for the formulation and implementation of migration policies based on the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the norms of International Law.