Obama, Castro to meet at UN Tuesday

The 84-year-old Castro met on Saturday with former President Bill Clinton in New York, Cuban state television reported.

Cuba’s President Raul Castro is due to meet US President Barack Obama on Tuesday.

The administration will take additional steps to loosen the embargoes in the coming months, officials have said.

“Such policy is rejected by 188 United Nations members states that demand its removal”, he said, referring to an annual U.N. General Assembly resolution that has condemned the USA embargo for more than two decades.

The White House announced early Sunday the two would get together for their second face-to-face meeting after a summit in Panama in April.

As the meeting place for all the world’s nations and their leaders celebrates its 70th anniversary, that address is one many memorable moments in the history of the General Assembly. On Sunday night, he is expected to speak at the Democratic National Conference LGBT gala.

Making his first visit to the United Nations, the Cuban president hailed the re-establishment of relations with Washington as “major progress” but he stressed that the blockade was unfinished business.

US officials have also criticized Russian support for embattled Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. Putin wants to talk about Syria; Obama wants to concentrate on Ukraine.

Neither statement mentioned the United Nations vote.

In addition to discussing the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, Obama also offered Bachelet condolences for a September 16 natural disaster in Chile “and inquired about the status of rebuilding and recovery efforts”.