Lifting of US Economic Embargo Against Cuba Just a 'Matter of Time'

The economic embargo contradicts the interests of both the US and Cuba, a Russian diplomat argued.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Lifting the economic embargo imposed by the United States on Cuba is a matter of time, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Latin American Department said.

"We believe that this is certainly a matter of time, of mood shifts within the United States, and objectively the situation will come to it. We believe that in this situation, the firm voice of the international community for the lifting of the embargo is an important factor," Alexander Shchetinin told RIA Novosti in an interview.

He added that there was "strong opposition in US Congress to the lifting of this totally unjust sanctions regime against Cuba, which, largely, contradicts US interests."

The United States imposed an embargo on Cuba in 1961 during the Cold War because of antagonism between Washington and the communist government in Havana.

In December 2014, US President Barack Obama announced he would begin restoring ties with Cuba. The two countries reopened embassies in their respective capitals on July 20, after more than 50 years of non-engagement.

On Friday, Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, adopted an address to the UN General Assembly urging Washington to end its embargo against Cuba.