Josefina Vidal: We come to Bring Stances Closer

HAVANA, Cuba, Feb 27 (acn) We come with a constructive spirit, trying to bring stances of the two parties closer, said in Washington on Thursday Josefina Vidal, general director of the United States Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX), who heads the Cuban delegation to the second round of talks between the island and the United States.
Vidal reiterated that Cuba hopes to receive answers about some issues that should be resolved to create the adequate context that makes it possible to formalize the reestablishment of diplomatic relations and the opening of embassies in the two countries.
With respect to the proposal Cuba brings to these talks, refereed to human rights, the Cuban official announced that there will be discussions about how this type of meetings will be held.
In July, 2014, Cuba proposed to carry out an open, reciprocal dialogue on the issue of human rights -a proposal reiterated in January in Havana and “in that area we have things to show,” assured Josefina Vidal.
Tackled again as part of this agenda will be the issue of removing Cuba from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism, a question important to resolve to create the adequate context that allows for the reestablishment of diplomatic relations.
The general director of the United States Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the Cuban press that she will meet in Washington with a group of persons that have historically been interested in achieving the improvement of bilateral relations and a rapprochement between the two countries and peoples, such as representatives of the business sector of the United States, all of them very motivated with the prospect of business opportunities opened to them once the blockade is lifted; and with members of the U.S. Congress, particularly with some of the leaders that have made great efforts to improve relations between the two nations.
Talks between the representatives of Cuba and the United States will take place on Friday, February 27, at the State Department, just a few blocks away from the White House, and it is expected that on Friday afternoon Josefina Vidal and Roberta Jacobson, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, give statements to the press.