Josefina Vidal: Cuba Ready to Talk on Any Topic with US President

The Cuban government stated Thursday that it would talk to US President on any subject, during the visit of the US President to the Caribbean island on March 21 and 22, including talking about human rights, always based on mutual respect

“Cuba is opened to talk on any subject with the US President, including human rights,” emphasized Josefina Vidal, general director for the US in the Cuban Foreign Affairs Ministry, who disregarded some “taboo’ topics in the bilateral agenda, but emphasized that Cuba has solid criteria on these aspects, and reiterated the need to lift the US blockade to Cuba, which Washington has maintained on Cuba since 1962.

So far, Vidal said that this visit will give Obama a direct approach to the Cuban reality and transformations of its national economy, and said that the Cuban government and people will receive President Obama with their proverbial hospitality.

She added Cuba to ratify Obama its willingness to go forward in the construction of a new relation between the two countries, on the basis of respect for differences and mutual benefits.

In particular, Vidal referred to the lifting of the economic, commercial and financial blockade which Washington has maintained against Cuba since 1962, as well as the return of the territory illegally occupied by the Guantanamo Naval Base.

She also said that Obama’s visit will serve for the Cuban people to ratify him the will of Cuba’s progress in building a new relationship between the two countries.

The visit of Obama will be 21 and 22 next March, 14 months after both Governments announced a process for the restoration of bilateral ties, which led to the reopening of embassies in Havana and Washington.