Syria Condemns Extension of US 'Trading with the Enemy' Act

On Wednesday, Syria's Foreign Affairs Minister Faisal Al-Mekdad condemned President Joe Biden's decision to extend the validity of the "Trading with the Enemy Act" (TWEA), which is at the base of the blockade the U.S. has maintained against Cuba for over six decades.

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"Economic blockade policies and the imposition of unilateral coercive measures violate international law and the will of United Nations member states," Al-Mekdad said, adding that such a policy "has proven to be useless and has catastrophic effects on the people."

On Friday, the White House decided to extend the sanctions against Cuba issued on Sept. 7, 2021 and expected to expire on Sept. 14.

The latter, however, will not happen as the Biden administration considers that the TWEA has "national interest" and its validity will be extended until Sept. 14, 2023.

Regarding this arbitrary act, Cuba's Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez highlighted that Biden became the 12th president who keeps a "policy of abuse against Cuba and its people."

At the time of the cold war in 1962, President John F. Kennedy resorted to the TWEA to initiate the blockade against Cuba, which has been condemned by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

"Unilateral sanctions form real obstacles to attempts aimed at achieving administrative reform and comprehensive development," Al-Mekdad said during a visit to Iran, another country economically harassed by the United States.