India has once again underlined its opposition to laws that have extraterritorial effects and interfere with the sovereignty of other countries, while voting in favour of a United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for an end to the long-running United States embargo on Cuba.

Speaking before the vote at the UN General Assembly in New York, Soumya Nair, a counsellor at India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, said India supported the Assembly’s appeal for all countries to reject “laws and regulations with extraterritorial effects that adversely affect the sovereignty of other states and the progress and prosperity of their peoples”.

She further stated, “India reiterates the Assembly’s call to all states to refrain from promulgating and applying, and to repeal and invalidate such laws and measures in conformity with their obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and International Law”.

The resolution was adopted by a substantial margin, securing 130 votes in favour, with 17 countries voting against and 25 abstaining.

The vote came after a heated diplomatic confrontation at the General Assembly. During proceedings on Tuesday, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla approached the dais while US Permanent Representative Mike Waltz was speaking, prompting intervention by Assembly President Khalilur Rahman, who temporarily suspended the session to restore order.

Tensions carried over into Wednesday when the United States expelled Richard Tur de la Concepcion, First Secretary of the Cuban mission. According to Ambassador Waltz, the Cuban diplomat had physically engaged with an American diplomat during the previous day’s altercation.

Emphasising Washington’s position, Waltz said, “If you lay a hand on an American diplomat in this body, there will be consequences,” adding, “That so-called diplomat today will be put on a plane back to Havana.”

The confrontation originated while Waltz was addressing allegations of corruption involving Cuba’s leadership.

Reacting to the incident, UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, criticised the breach of protocol. He said, “We expect every delegation to respect the decorum of the General Assembly’s hall and to respect the rules and procedures of the General Assembly.”

Dujarric also noted that UN Safety and Security personnel had been deployed in greater numbers and “did a great job in ensuring that the situation did not get out of hand”.

Reaffirming India’s broader foreign policy approach, Nair said, “India’s commitment to multilateralism is rooted in our belief that international challenges are best addressed through dialogue and diplomacy in accordance with the UN Charter”.

Highlighting the humanitarian implications of the embargo, she added, “It is in this spirit that India hopes that the embargo will be lifted at the earliest, to help create an environment that would enable the people of Cuba to participate more fully in international cooperation and pursue their legitimate development aspirations.”

Nair pointed to the severe strain on Cuba’s healthcare sector, noting that the embargo has contributed to shortages of more than 60 per cent of essential medicines. She also said food production in the country has fallen by over 50 per cent during the past five years.

She further warned that recently tightened restrictions on fuel shipments have disrupted key public services, including healthcare, education, water supply systems, food distribution networks and transport services.

India’s vote is consistent with its long-standing position favouring dialogue, multilateral engagement and respect for national sovereignty, while supporting international efforts aimed at easing economic pressures that affect civilian populations.

ANI