We strongly reject the extension of the so-called “Trading with the Enemy Act” which tightens the US blockade against Cuba, Al-Mekdad said in his speech to the 77th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

The Syrian minister also called for the pressing need to lift all forms of unilateral coercive measures imposed by Western countries against Russia, Iran, Belarus, Venezuela, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Nicaragua, Zimbabwe and Eritrea.

“These measures are economic terrorism no less brutal and dangerous than armed terrorism, whether from legal standpoint or in terms of inhumane effects on the peoples targeted by these actions,” he said.

Damascus calls for halting attempts to meddle in internal affairs of these countries and to respect their sovereignty, guaranteed by the UN Charter and international law.

Al-Mekdad stated that the great Western powers must realize they are not great power for their brutality and military power, but for respecting the UN Charter and international law, upholding humanitarian principles and avoiding selfishness and mentality of colonialism.

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