Cuban President Raul Castro on December 17 announced that his country isnormalising its relations with the US after 53 years ofinterruption.
The decision was made after a series of secrethigh-level negotiations between the two sides, including anearly-one-hour telephone talk between President Raul Castro and hisUS counterpart Barack Obama.
“We agree to restorerelations with the US after more than half of a century,” Castro toldhis country in Havana the same day.
The leaderexpressed his thanks to the Vatican and Pope Francis for theirintermediary role in bridging the two countries, as well as the CanadianGovernment for assisting Cuba and the US in organising thenegotiations.
He also revealed that three Cubanintelligence agents who were detained in the US returned Cuba onDecember 17 morning as part of an exchange deal, while a US national,Alan Gross, and a Cuban spy serving the US Government were alsoreleased.
However, he highlighted that US’ tradeembargo against the Caribbean island country, which was applied in1960, had yet been removed. The two countries terminated theirdiplomatic ties in 1961.
Meanwhile, Obama said from Washington that a “new chapter” opened for the relations between his country and Cuba .
He said he will discuss with the US Congress on the entire removal ofthe embargo against Cuba, adding that he assigned Secretary of StateJohn Kerry to talk with the Cuban side to conduct activities tonormalise the bilateral relations.
The move waslauded by public opinions in both the US and Cuba . The majority ofUS people hailed Obama’s decision to restore relations with Cuba andopen an embassy in Havana, urging the US Congress to revoke embargoagainst the island country.-VNA
The decision was made after a series of secrethigh-level negotiations between the two sides, including anearly-one-hour telephone talk between President Raul Castro and hisUS counterpart Barack Obama.
“We agree to restorerelations with the US after more than half of a century,” Castro toldhis country in Havana the same day.
The leaderexpressed his thanks to the Vatican and Pope Francis for theirintermediary role in bridging the two countries, as well as the CanadianGovernment for assisting Cuba and the US in organising thenegotiations.
He also revealed that three Cubanintelligence agents who were detained in the US returned Cuba onDecember 17 morning as part of an exchange deal, while a US national,Alan Gross, and a Cuban spy serving the US Government were alsoreleased.
However, he highlighted that US’ tradeembargo against the Caribbean island country, which was applied in1960, had yet been removed. The two countries terminated theirdiplomatic ties in 1961.
Meanwhile, Obama said from Washington that a “new chapter” opened for the relations between his country and Cuba .
He said he will discuss with the US Congress on the entire removal ofthe embargo against Cuba, adding that he assigned Secretary of StateJohn Kerry to talk with the Cuban side to conduct activities tonormalise the bilateral relations.
The move waslauded by public opinions in both the US and Cuba . The majority ofUS people hailed Obama’s decision to restore relations with Cuba andopen an embassy in Havana, urging the US Congress to revoke embargoagainst the island country.-VNA
