WASHINGTON, (CMC) – Antigua and Barbuda Friday called for Cuba to “take its rightful seat “ in the Councils of the Organisation of American States (OAS) saying it would encourage Havana to do so.

“Cuba must not now isolate itself from this body of which it is a founding member. My government calls on the Cuban government to take its rightful seat in the Council of the OAS,” said Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the OAS Sir Ronald Sanders.

In his inaugural statement to a fully-attended OAS Permanent Council, Sir Ronald said the Gaston Browne government “looks forward to the universality of hemispheric representation in this body by the return of Cuba to our councils”.  

He told the meeting that that was also attended by the ambassadors of the United States, Canada and all Latin American and Caribbean countries that he is “proud that, apart from Canada and Mexico, the countries of the Caribbean were the first to end the isolation of Cuba in this Hemisphere in 1972.

“While it took 42 years since 1972 ‘to cut loose the anchor of failed policies of the past’, today Cuba enjoys diplomatic relations with every member state of this Organisation,” he said.

Sir Ronald’s statement coincided with the ceremony in Havana attended by US Secretary of State John Kerry in which Washington re-opened its embassy there after 54 years.

Cuba was suspended from the OAS in 1962 largely at the initiative of the US government that was pursuing a policy of isolating the Caribbean island.In June 2009, the OAS lifted the ban on Cuba but, so far, Cuba has not acted to re-join the Organisation.