UN General Assembly
2013

For more than two decades, the General Assembly has called overwhelmingly for the lifting of the more than five-decades-old economic blockade imposed on Cuba by our friend and partner the United States of America. Confrontational lines will need to be replaced with dialogue and cooperation. We cannot look to the future if we cling to the past. We hope that a forward- looking policy will be embraced by the United States of America in easing the blockade. I turn now to bilateral cooperation with Papua New Guinea, my Melanesian neighbour. Papua New Guinea continues to provide opportunities for young Solomon Islanders in terms of employment and scholarships. Visa-free work schemes have been launched, and trade relations continue to grow to new heights. In my subregion, the Melanesian Spearhead Group — composed of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands — represents one of the most diverse regions of the world. A quarter of the world’s languages are spoken by the more than 8 million people of the subregion. Enhanced free trade has unified the