Cuban Foreign Minister Meets with US Secretary of State

“We will continue to urge the Cuban government to fulfil its obligations under UN and Inter-American human rights covenants – obligations shared by the United States and every other country in the Americas”, Kerry said.

“It would be equally unrealistic to expect normalizing relations to have in a short term in transformation impact, after all, Cuba’s future is for Cubans to shape”, he said.

Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday normalizing diplomatic relations with Cuba will need time to work and that the U.S. won’t give Cuba a pass on human rights violations in the meantime.

Before an invited audience of about 300 U.S. and Cuban officials, along with foreign diplomats, Kerry praised President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro for what he called “a courageous decision to stop being prisoners of history and to focus on the opportunities of today and tomorrow”. Vesa said that flag flying back in her home country is just a beginning step towards her family having better lives. Secretary of State Kerry met with dissidents at a separate reception later Friday.

“Currently Cuba allows U.S. products in agriculture and in humanitarian aid, so those opportunities now exist for local businesses but not anything beyond that”, said Stimpson. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Sen.

Despite the detente, normalization of relations remains a distant goal. But they also said they hoped to make progress on issues ranging from maritime security and public health to the billions of dollars in dueling claims over confiscation of U.S. property and the U.S. economic embargo on the island. “The two sides have to remove the obstacles that have kept Cubans away”.

Obama has also used executive power to relax some U.S.travel and trade restrictions, but the Republican-controlled Congress has resisted his call to end America’s wider economic embargo.

While Cuba has increased its highly limited Internet access since December 17 in a measure U.S. officials partially attribute to the warming with Washington, ordinary Cubans are growing increasingly impatient for concrete results from the new relationship.

Mr Kerry was then to meet with Cuba’s foreign minister, the country’s Roman Catholic archbishop and, separately, a hand-picked group of dissidents.

I reminded the Secretary of State that the total lifting of the embargo (imposed by Washington since 1962) is essential to be able to have normal relations with the United States, as well as the return of the Guantanamo naval base to Cuba, he said.

“The truth is the Cuban people are suffering because they live in a tyrannical dictatorship”.

Opponents of the US opening to Cuba criticised the absence of dissidents in the audience.

But critics of the opening, including some Cuban-American lawmakers and GOP presidential candidates, have made up their minds.