Cuba and the United States Advance in Dialog on Mutual Compensations

Cuba will not accept unilateral solutions that do not satisfy its interests, said in Havana Cuban Deputy Minister Abelardo Moreno referring to talks with the US on mutual compensations

The government official pointed out in a press conference that Cuba made it clear during last Thursday’s meeting with representatives of the US administration that this is a two way process and stressed that in Cuba’s opinion there should be a recognition of the integrity of the process in order to conclude in favorable terms.

Moreno added that the US demands compensation for economic damages due to the nationalization laws dictated at the triumph of the Revolution and which according to Washington affected the country’s citizens and companies. On the Cuban side there are two demands against the US for human and economic damages amounting in over 300 billion dollars.

The Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister added that the exchanges are aimed at achieving mutualcompensations between Cuba and the United States and which is included within the process towards the normalization of relations which began over a year ago with the reestablishment of diplomatic ties, but, said Moreno this is a very complex political, technical and legal issue because there is a lot of elements at stake.

The US blockade against Cuba that has lasted over five decades and has affected the development of the country and inflicted huge economic and human loses, is one of the elements that makes the negotiations on compensations more complex, said Moreno.

The two Cuban demands for human and economic damages dates back to 1999 and 2000 and the legal concept are in accordance with the practice and international law, said the Deputy Minister.

He expressed since the first nationalization laws were dictated, the Revolutionary Government had the commitment to compensate foreigners whose properties passed on to the Cuban people and although in the case of the US there were formulas to executive the compensations, the attitude of the US administration at the time impeded such action to take place.

Cuba approved compensations with Canada and other European nations in the 1960’s.

The two informative meetings on mutual compensations, December and July, have allowed professional, constructive negotiations with an exchange of information and experiences, formulas and timetable in the negotiating process and Moreno said that the conditions are set to continue the process.

The second informative meeting was held on July 28th, 2016 in Washington between representatives of the government of Cuba and the United States on the issue of mutual compensations headed by Abelardo Moreno and the main legal advisor of the US State Department Brian Egan.