Cuba's President Raul Castro Saturday made his first speech at the United Nations on Saturday during an ongoing sustainable development summit, asking the U.S. to drop economic and trade embargo on the country.
"The embargo is the main obstacle to our country's economic development, while affecting other nations due to its extraterritorial scope, and hurting the interests of American citizens and companies. Such policy is rejected by 188 United Nations members' states that demand its removal," the Cuban leader said in his address to world leaders, according to AOL.
"The economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba for over half a century causes challenges and hardships for the Cuban people and is the main obstacle to the economic development of our country," he said, according to Havana Times.
Castro also hailed the renewing of diplomatic relations with U.S. as a "major progress," reported AFP. Cuba and the U.S. officially renewed full diplomatic relations on July 20 this year after 54 years of hostility.
Castro is in New York to attend a summit of world leaders on sustainable development. He will also address the U.N. General Assembly on Monday.
He also met Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi , New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio during his stay, reported Press Latina.
