Cuban Foreign Trade Minister kicks off working agenda in Washington

HAVANA, Cuba, Feb 15 (acn) Cuban Foreign Trade and Investment minister Rodrigo Malmierca begins a four-day working visit to the United States, which includes meetings with local officials, public and private entrepreneurs.

This is the second Cuban government minister to visit the U.S. in over 50 years, after foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez visited to open the Cuban embassy in Washington last year following the December 17, 2014 historic announcement by presidents Raul Castro and Barack Obama to reestablish diplomatic relations.
Malmierca will meet with Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and both will consider the scope of executive measures adopted by President Obama to modify aspects of the over-50-year economic, commercial and financial blockade of Cuba.
Pritzker visited Cuba last October for the first bilateral meeting on the potential and limitations of the measures aimed at easing the web of norms and policies in force against the Caribbean nation, which make up the US blockade law.
Minister Malmierca will also meet with members of the US Chamber of Commerce, an entity that set up the US-Cuba Business Council to boost bilateral trade exchange and lift barriers on commerce. He will meet with the Chamber´s leader Carlos Gutierrez, according to the agenda.
The visit by the Cuban minister and the changes of US regulations raise unprecedented opportunities for the two countries, particularly in terms of travel and the development of small companies, said Gutierrez, who was Secretary of Commerce under George W. Bush between 2005 and 2009.
The Cuban government official arrived Sunday in Washington heading a delegation that includes members of the Cuban Chamber of Commerce, the Foreign Ministry, the Central Bank of Cuba and entrepreneurs. They were welcomed at Dulles International Airport by Cuban ambassador to Washington Jose Cabañas.
Cuba and the U.S. have advanced bilateral actions in the areas of postal mail, civil aviation, the fight on drug trafficking, scientific cooperation and the environment.
However, Cuba insists that in order to have normal bilateral relations Washington must lift the US blockade, return the illegally occupied territory of Guantanamo and stop subversive radio and TV broadcasts to the island.