Cuba-US Human Rights Talks were Marked by Mutual Respect and Professionalism

HAVANA, Cuba, Apr 1 (acn) During the first Cuba-US talks on human rights, held on March 31 in Washington D.C., the representatives of the island expressed their country´s concerns regarding human rights in the United States.

"We expressed our concerns regarding discrimination and racism patterns in US society, the worsening of police brutality, torture acts and extrajudicial executions in the fight on terror and the legal limbo of prisoners at the US prison camp in Guantanamo, " said the head of the Cuban delegation to the talks, Pedro Luis Pedroso.

During a news conference in Washington, the deputy general director for Multilateral Affairs and International Law at the Cuban Foreign Ministry said that the island´s delegation also put forth its concern about the limitation of labor rights and union liberties.

According to Pedroso, despite deep differences about conception and the exercise of human rights between Cuba and the United States, the meeting held at the US State Department took place in an atmosphere of respect and professionalism.

"We addressed issues of mutual interest, "said Pedroso, who noted that the dialog evidenced that it is possible to have civilized relations based on the recognition and respect of the differences."

Pedroso added that the meeting, held on the initiative of Cuba, ratified the willingness of Havana to discuss any issue on equal grounds and reciprocity.

Cuba also presented some of its achievements in terms of the protection and promotion of human rights and he did not discard future exchanges on the topic.

The human rights talks adds to other issues of bilateral interest for Cuba and the United States that run parallel to the ongoing process aimed at reestablishing diplomatic relations and the opening of embassies in Washington and Havana.