The Capitol building in Havana is pictured in an undated photo.
AP Photo
After decades of icy relations, Cuba and the United States have emerged from historic negotiations with a plan to reopen their respective embassies.
A senior Obama administration official told BuzzFeed News Tuesday that the Cuban and U.S. governments "have reached an agreement to re-establish formal diplomatic relations," including opening embassies in Havana and Washington, DC. President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry are expected to speak about the deal Wednesday morning.
The announcement comes after months of negotiations that began in December. It also follows the easing of travel restrictions for Americans hoping to visit to Cuba, as well as moves by American companies, such as JetBlue, to increase service to the island country.
The United States Interests Section diplomatic mission in Havana on May 24.
Desmond Boylan / AP
The embassy deal makes the prospect of a presidential trip to Havana more likely. White House officials have expressed openness about an Obama trip to Cuba since the reopening of diplomatic relations between the two countries late last year.
An Obama visit to Cuba would be just the latest development in a dramatic realignment of U.S.-Cuba relations. Following Fidel Castro's communist revolution, ties between the two countries deteriorated. Eventually the U.S. embossed an embargo against Cuba and cut of diplomatic relations.
The U.S. and Cuba remained at odds even after the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.
Now, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to travel to Cuba in July for a ceremony to reopen an embassy in Havana, Reuters reported.
LINK: U.S. Formally Drops Cuba From Terrorism List
from BuzzFeed - USNews http://ift.tt/1ILkEan
No comments:
Post a Comment