HAVANA, Cuba, Nov 16 (acn) The Secretary of Agriculture of the United States, Thomas Vilsack, asserted on Friday his commitment to find a way to eliminate barriers to trade between Cuba and the U.S.A.
In conversation with the Cuban and foreign press about the purpose of his working visit to the island, the top official of the administration of President Barack Obama said he returns to Washington with a marked interest in exploring what measures exist and can be taken to ease bilateral trade.
He stressed that in his talks on Thursday with his Cuban counterpart, Gustavo Rodríguez, Minister of Agriculture, they talked, among other matters, about how food exports from the U.S. to the Caribbean nation have decreased, due to a reduction of credits and the prohibition of the use of dollars in transactions with Cuba.
One of the objectives of his trip, insisted Vilsack, was precisely to understand what these barriers are and their reach, to find ways that in a short term can boost a relationship that benefits both countries.
On the existing blockade against Cuba, the Secretary of Agriculture assured that he cares about what his President thinks about that policy; "he has said it has to be lifted and he is urging Congress with this purpose."
If that happens, producers, consumers, haulage contractors, packers and retailers of Cuba and the U.S. will benefit, because they will have guaranteed markets for their activities; "There are many benefits in bilateral trade," said the member of Obama's cabinet since 2009.
He also referred to the possibility that when a container arrives in the island full of U.S. products it can return full of Cuban products; and benefits like these are what the President is supporting.
Vilsack acknowledged Cuba's concern over applying the achievements of science in favor of developing its agriculture, especially in relation to the struggle against pests and diseases affecting crops.
In this regard, he praised the rapid and effective response the Caribbean nation gave to the avian influenza that hit the region, and suggested, as another significant step in this stage, to encourage cooperation among scientists, academicians and producers of the two countries in phytosanitary matters.
This will help lay the foundations for a secure exchange of agricultural products for consumers of both markets.
There is much work to do in this process of reestablishing relations, but I'm confident with the commitment that both sides have in that regard, stated the third U.S. official of the highest level traveling to Cuba, after the reestablishment of diplomatic bonds.
Although Obama announced in January and September more executive measures to relax some of the unilateral economic sanctions of the blockade against Cuba, they are not sufficient to normalize trade between the two countries, especially in agriculture.
The delegation accompanying the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture was composed of Todd Batta, Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations; Alexis Taylor, Deputy under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, and Democrat representatives for the states of Alabama, Oregon and Washington.
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