Hava, February 19: Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez met with ncy Pelosi, Democratic leader of the US House of Representatives visiting the island as part of efforts to normalise ties. According to Cuba’s foreign ministry, the two sides “discussed issues related to the current context of ties between the two countries, including restoring diplomatic relations, opening embassies and the debate in Congress on lifting the blockade against Cuba,” Xinhua reported. Cuba usually refers to the US-led trade embargo as a “blockade”.
Josefi Vidal, director general for US affairs at Cuba’s foreign ministry headed the Cuban delegation to the first round of talks held in Jan and will again head the second round, scheduled Feb 27 in Washington D. C.
This is the second US delegation to the island in less than a week. Last Saturday, three Democratic setors had visited Cuba. Washington severed ties with Hava in January 1961 and imposed punitive economic sanctions in an effort to topple the revolutiory government of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, who retired in 2006. (IANS)