Czech ForMin criticises Belarus, Cuba, Myanmar at U.N. assembly :: Charter'97 :: News

Czech Foreign Minister Alexandr Vondra criticised Belarus, Cuba and Myanmar over violation of human rights in his address at the United Nations General Assembly today.

"It is one of the sad ironies of our time that Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest in Myanmar 15 years after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize," Vondra pointed out.

He criticised Cuban regime of Fidel Castro for "jailing and harassing members of peaceful democratic opposition in Cuba." He called for solidarity with Belarussian presidential candidate Aleksandr Kozulin who was sentenced to prison for alleged incitement of disorder.

Vondra confirmed that the Czech Republic is a candidate for the elected seat in the UN Security Council for 2008-2009.

He also supported the candidacy of Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga as the candidate for U.N. Secretary General to replace Kofi Annan.

Vondra said that the Czech Republic supported stricter rules for arms trading. "My country supports all efforts, as well as several programs, to bring the arms trade and use of arms under a stronger control," he said.

But Vondra said that a possible proliferation of mass destruction weapons is an even greater threat.