Vol. 557 No. 6
108 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position of Ireland in relation to the ending of the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23141/02]
It is regrettable that the partial easing of the US embargo against Cuba, after a vote by the US Congress in October 2000 to lift the ban on the sale of food and medicines, has not been followed up by the embargo's complete removal. Nevertheless, I welcome the fact that the relaxation of the embargo has enabled Cuba to purchase a considerable volume of US food products for which, however, Havana has had to pay cash as US financial institutions remain prohibited from extending credits for such sales. Ireland wishes to see a full and final end to the embargo. Together with our partners in the European Union, we have consistently supported resolutions in the UN General Assembly calling for the embargo to be lifted. Once again, on 12 November 2002, Ireland, and all EU member states, voted in favour of the resolution tabled by Cuba calling for the abolition of the embargo and the Assembly adopted it by a vote of 173 in favour to three against, with four abstentions.
