Cuban Ambassador Abelardo Cueto Sosa on Wednesday backed India's bid for permanent berth in United Nations Security Council (UNSC) even as he asserted that his country's sovereignty remained non-negotiable notwithstanding the recent thaw in relationship between Washington and Havana.
Cuban Ambassador Abelardo Cueto Sosa on Wednesday backed India's bid for permanent berth in United Nations Security Council (UNSC) even as he asserted that his country's sovereignty remained non-negotiable notwithstanding the recent thaw in relationship between Washington and Havana.
Talking to reporters here, Sosa also batted for democratisation of the UNSC, saying his country has been fighting for the same for many years.
"It will be very good (if India gets permanent seat in UNSC). Why not? We have been fighting to democratise the Security Council for many years," he told reporters. While the diplomatic ties between US and Cuba seem to have been improving of late, Sosa maintained his country will ensure it doesn't surrender its sovereignty "preserved for many years" following long struggle.
"I am totally convinced that we have problems, we have hassles also, but we will never surrender our sovereignty. We are a country who fought for many many years to preserve the sovereignty. We will surrender nothing, absolutely nothing," he said, adding, Cuba wants to build bridges while maintaining its sovereignty.
On India-Pakistan relationship, he said it is a "problem" between the two Asian countries and Cuba was not in a position to suggest them what to do.
"This is a problem between India and Pakistan. We are not in a position to say this to any country that you must do this or must do that," he said.
Shah's call came following a number of dissident voices in the party over ticket allocation and allegation by BJP MP from Ara RK Singh about tickets having been sold to criminals.
"This is time to forget who got ticket and who did not...You must leave all desires behind and work for the goal of party's win," he said. Taking a dig at Lalu, Shah said the RJD chief launched his poll campaign from the constituency of his son Tejaswi Yadav even though the seat is going to polls in the third phase.
He said Nitish Kumar's promise of development if voted back to power was a "mirage" in the company of Lalu, whose tenure was known for "jungle raj", and Congress, which was involved in corruption worth thousands of crores of rupees.
Claiming that the wave in favour of BJP in Bihar was stronger than that in 2002 Gujarat polls, when Modi as chief minister led the party to a massive victory, and last year's Lok Sabha elections, he said the NDA will get a two-thirds majority.
Amid repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistan, Shah targeted the Congress, saying the Narendra Modi government accorded great importance to national security, which will never be compromised. "Rahul Baba - nobody now dares to slaughter our soldiers.
If anybody engages in a misadventure, we enter Burma's borders and our forces take them out, that's what Narendra Modi's government is all about.
"You wouldn't know understand this because you have got your perspective from your mother's side of the family," he said, apparently referring to the army's counteroffensive against insurgents along the Myanmar border in June following the killing of 18 soldiers in an ambush in Manipur.
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