Ministerial Visits Encourage Bilateral Exchange between Cuba and USA

Nearly one year after the resumption of Cuba-US diplomatic relations, the visits made by senior US officials to Cuba and senior Cuban officials to the USA, are contributing to ensuring the continuity of the process

The visits to the United States by the Cuban ministers of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Public Health, the President of the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (INDER), and the vice president of the Institute of Civil Aeronautics (IACC) confirm Havana’s interest in achieving progress regarding the relations between both countries.

After the visit to the United States by the minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez in July 2015 a process of bilateral exchanges at ministerial level began, which included the visit to Washington of the Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, Rodrigo Malmierca, in February, 2016, and of the Minister of Agriculture, Gustavo Rodriguez and the President of the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (INDER), Eduardo Becali in June, 2016.

Also in June, the Cuban Minister of Public Health Roberto Morales signed an agreement in Washington, in which Cuba and the United States agreed to work together in the fight against the Zika virus and cancer.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of State, John Kerry, as well as the Secretaries of Commerce, Penny Pritzker; Agriculture, Thomas Vilsack, and Transport, Anthony Foxx are some of the US Ministers who have visited Cuba.

Despite these official visits, there are still important issues to resolve, such as the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba for over half a century, and the return of the territory occupied by the Guantanamo Naval Base, which are important issues to resolve in order to find a true path of understanding between both countries.