Cuba reiterates willingness to have trade with the US

HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 21 (acn) Cuban Minister of Foreign Investment and Trade Rodrigo Malmierca said Cuba is willing to have trade and business with the US that will bring benefits for both, but are still limited due to the standing US blockade.

Minister Malmierca gave a press conference at the press room of the Havana Libre Tryp Hotel, where hundreds of journalists gather for the US President Barack Obama visit and announced he will meet today Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker.
He said he had spoken to Secretary Pritzker over the phone and they agreed to meet after Obama´s arrival in Cuba to discuss several issues of common interest in terms of trade and commerce between the two nations, and the elimination of the over 50-year long US blockade of Cuba.
The Cuban Minister added that after the December 17, 2014, joint announcement for the restoration of diplomatic relations Cuban officials have had talks with the US Departments of Treasure, Commerce and State, with two rounds of Regulatory Dialogue, which both sides agree are useful to reestablish normal relations in terms of trade.
He said that the four packages of measures implemented by Obama are ¨on the right track and express clearly the ample faculties Obama has to empty the blockade¨
¨We acknowledge that in the last (package) they included an important change that was the lifting of the prohibition of the use of the US dollar in Cuban international transactions that don't only affect relations between Cuban and American companies, but of Cuba with the rest of the world¨
He added this will have an immediate impact for Cuban commerce, but only for the relations with third countries since Cuba cannot deal directly with US companies, with the exception of those authorized by the US government.
Minister Malmierca announced the possibility of Obama attending the bilateral business forum to be held tomorrow, convened by the Cuban Chamber of Commerce, in which Cuban state entities, self-employed and cooperatives will participate along American entrepreneurs
The American participants will have an opportunity in this meeting to get to know the business opportunities in Cuba and to create working relations with their Cuban counterparts