Sapa. Business Report. http://www.busrep.co.za/June
12 2001 at 11:34AM
Cuba - There were no known cases of the United States' controversial
Helms-Burton Act having affected South African investors in Cuba, Foreign
Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said on Tuesday.
In written reply to Joe Seremane (DP), she said the act allowed US citizens,
whose property was confiscated by the Cuban government, to sue Cuban entities or
foreign investors involved in deals related to those properties or profits.
After the law was passed, in March 1996, the European Union had reacted in
protest against the extra-territorial nature of the legislation, and enacted "blocking
statutes of its own", Dlamini-Zuma said.
"The unilateral imposition of extra-territorial legislation is of
concern, and South Africa has consistently expressed its opposition to this
practice.
"Nevertheless, to date, there are no known cases of this specific
legislation having impacted negatively on South Africa, and the bilateral
relationship between South Africa and the United States remains excellent,"
she said.
South Africa had consistently voted against the annual US-sponsored
resolution on human rights in Cuba in the United Nations' General Assembly.
"In addition, South African permanent representatives to the UN also
continue to speak out against the US embargo of Cuba," Dlamini-Zuma said.
At last month's Human Rights Commission meeting of the UN in Geneva, South
Africa had voted against a US-supported resolution on Cuba. - Sapa | 