UN chief welcomes historic thaw in US-Cuba ties

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the decision to normalise relations between the US and Cuba, saying the move will help expand people-to-people exchanges between the two nations.
Ban said he had been informed of the significant decision by the US government and he congratulated Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro "for taking this very important step towards normalising relations".
"This news is very positive. As much of the membership of the UN has repeatedly emphasised, it is time that Cuba and the US normalise bilateral relations," Ban told reporters in his end of year press conference here.
Ban expressed hope that the announcement will help expand further exchanges between the two people separated for a long time, offering the world body's assistance to both countries in cultivating good neighbouring relations.

The United Nations General Assembly has been tabling a resolution for over 20 years calling for an end to the US' economic, commercial and financial embargo on Cuba.
This year India also was among 188 nations that voted in favour of the resolution, which for the 23rd year in a row called for an end to the embargo.
As in the previous years, the US and Israel had voted against the resolution "Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba".
Many nations had lauded Havana's assistance to combat Ebola by sending one of the largest medical contingents to West Africa.