First historic round of talks between US and Cuba concludes today

AFP PHOTO / Adalberto ROQUE

Cuba and the United States began this Wednesday in Havana two days of talks aimed at restoring diplomatic relations and other topics of bilateral interest.

The meeting started in the presence of the press at 09:00 local time, and continued behind closed doors in a hall of the Palace of Conventions, after the historic reconciliation announced by Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro.

The delegations of both countries to this meeting are headed by the Assistant Secretary of the Bureau for Western Hemisphere Affairs of the State Department, Edward Alex Lee, and Josefina Vidal, Director of the US at the Cuban Chancellery.

“The productive and collaborative nature of today’s discussion proves that, despite the clear differences that remain between our countries, the US and Cuba can find opportunities to advance our mutually shared interests,” Lee told reporters.

Meanwhile, Vidal saluted the “constructive” migratory dialogue carried out, but criticized that the US maintains the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966 and the policy of dry feet / wet feet for illegal migrants from the island.