HispanicBusiness

Members of Russia's State Duma have appealed to parliaments of UN members states to call for the USA to end its economic embargo of Cuba, Russian Interfax news agency reported on 20 November.

"The unilateral embargo of the Republic of Cuba established by the United States of America in circumvention of the United Nations will not only restrain the development of the Cuban economy, but also undermine the rights and lawful interests of Cuban citizens living in other states and also third states," a statement passed by the Duma on 20 November said.

Cuban experts estimate the economic damage to Cuba since the beginning of the blockade to be more than 108bn dollars as of December 2011, the document says.

The Duma members welcome the initiative of Cuba's leaders which aims to modernize the national economy and increase the population's standard of living. They think that lifting the economic sanctions and normalizing Cuban-American relations will help the implementation of this initiative, the document said.

The State Duma appealed to parliaments of UN members states "to call on the USA to end its economic, trade and financial blockade of the Republic of Cuba", the document said.