Cuba and the U.S. Reaffirm Willingness to Continue Talks

HAVANA, Cuba, Jul. 20 (acn) Cuban Foreign Minister (FM) Bruno Rodriguez and the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, reaffirmed on Monday the willingness of both governments to continue talks in the search for solutions to issues of bilateral interest.

Hoisting the Cuban flag for the first time after 54 years was of special significance, it would not have been possible to reach this point without the historic leadership of Fidel and the conviction of the people, expressed the FM during a press conference by the two leaders in the State Department in Washington.
Bruno described as constructive the meeting with Kerry, during which they reviewed the topics discussed by presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro during the 7th Summit of the Americas in Panama, and especially progress made since D17.
Kerry said they spoke a lot, not only about Cuba but of the Latin American region, and welcomed the first visit by a foreign minister of the Caribbean nation since 1958, now marked by the reopening of the embassy in Washington after more than five decades.
It is a historic day, a day in which barriers were knocked down, pointed out the Secretary of State.
In this regard he said that the United States welcomes the new beginning of its relations with the Cuban people and government and reaffirmed they are determined to live as good neighbors, on the basis of mutual respect.
For his part, the Foreign Minister highlighted the solidarity of Latin America, of the rest of the nations of the world and of many U.S. citizens and Cubans living in the United States that persisted for years so the two countries had better relations.
He thanked President Barack Obama for the initiative in Congress to lift the blockade and stressed that the U.S. administration has taken positive steps, but noted that Obama still has executive powers to end the blockade and return the illegally occupied territory of Guantanamo.
The two of them ratified the interest to continue talks, knowing beforehand that it is a complex process and will require the efforts of both countries.
Similarly, Kerry assured the Cuban people the commitment of his government to do its part in the agreements reached, describing them as a historic step in the right direction.
The Secretary of State had words of congratulations for Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and the Cuban people for the ceremony held on Monday morning in Washington.
About the press conference, Kerry confirmed what was rumored in the corridors of the State Department; he will travel to Havana on August 14 to participate in the opening ceremony of his country's embassy.
We want all citizens in the U.S. and Cuba to look at the future of relations with hope, because this July 20 we started to make good the damage made and opened a path closed for a long time, he confessed.
He noted that the reopening of embassies is not the end of the profound differences existing between Havana and Washington.
Kerry mentioned some issues on which institutions of the two countries can cooperate, such as the fight against drug trafficking and human trafficking, communications and law enforcement, among others.
Rodriguez mentioned some of the crucial points that will mark the stage that now begins towards normalization of relations: the lifting of the blockade, the return of the occupied territory in Guantanamo, and compensation to the people of Cuba for economic and human damages.
He told his counterpart that he will be waiting for him in Havana in a few weeks to welcome him on the occasion of the opening of the U.S. Embassy.
At the end of the meeting, Rodriguez said he was pleased with Monday's exchanges at the State Department, which lasted about an hour and a half, and with the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States.