Cuba and the United States hold talks in Havana

The island’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Fernández de Cossío said at a press conference that his country reiterated at the meeting its willingness to fulfill and respect, as it has done until now, the commitments established to guarantee regular, safe, and orderly migration.

The Cuban delegation, chaired by Fernández, also reiterated its concern about the measures to encourage irregular migration maintained by the United States government, and placed special emphasis on the US blockade’s impact on the living conditions of the Cuban population.

They also condemned the financial limitations as a consequence of the arbitrary inclusion of Cuba on the list of States that allegedly sponsor terrorism.

Likewise, the delegation from the island denounced the validity of the Helms Burton Act as a stimulus to irregular migration, as well as the political asylum offered by the US Government to the hijackers of Cuban aircraft, which puts the air safety of both countries at risk.

Cuba also reiterated the need to reestablish the processing of non-immigrant visas at the US embassy in Havana, and stressed the importance of compliance with bilateral migration agreements in their entirety and not selectively. In this sense, the Caribbean country reaffirmed its willingness to continue the rounds of talks on immigration matters.

The US delegation was led by US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs Daniel Erikson.

Since President Joe Biden arrived at the White House, this is the fourth time that both countries have met to address immigration issues. Last April, both nations held talks on this issue in Washington DC.