The Russian politician expressed at the plenary session of the Russia-Latin America Parliamentary Conference held in Moscow that, “we are categorically against any unilateral restriction that has a biased and illegitimate character, violates international law, or the rules of international trade”.

Matvienko described as inadmissible that Cuba has been “under a blockade” for more than 60 years, and asked whether it was acceptable that in the 21st century a country should extend its jurisdiction to the sovereign states of the world and force them to support certain sanctions against a large number of nations.

He also pointed out that the time has come for the international community to firmly declare on the UN platform and in other formats the inadmissibility of unilateral sanctions, to condemn them and to succeed in banning them.

Sanctions, the politician continued, are not against states and regimes, but against people. Matvienko added that Russian parliamentarians advocate strengthening the potential of the Global South and its voice in international affairs.

The first ‘Russia-Latin America’ parliamentary conference was held from September 29 to October 2 in Moscow and was attended by more than 200 delegates, including legislators, diplomats, public officials and experts.

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