021-a-12-(President Barack Obama, speaking to the United Nations General Assembly)-“and people-to-people ties”-President Obama says today’s meeting with Raul Castro continues his bid to engage Cuban leaders – in hopes of promoting change”.
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For the first time in more than 60 years, a us president has met with a Cuban president on USA soil.
But sharp differences remain, particularly over Cuba’s human rights record and detainment of political prisoners.
It will be the second meeting between the two leaders since they announced a detente following more than half a century of animosity between the former Cold War foes that led to the restoration of diplomatic relations on July 20.
As long as the embargo remains in place, Cuba will continue to present each year in the General Assembly a resolution demanding an end to Washington’s economic sanctions against the island, Mr Castro said.
The Cuban embargo has been a particular sore spot for the United States in the General Assembly, which has voted annually with near unanimity to condemn it 23 times.
The measures also allow certain persons to establish a physical presence, such as an office or other facility, in Cuba to facilitate authorized transactions and allow certain persons to open and maintain bank accounts in Cuba to use for authorized purposes.
Obama and Castro spoke by telephone again earlier this month before Pope Francis visited Cuba and the United States.
US President Barack Obama is in favor of lifting the 50-year old trade embargo, for which he requires the consent of the U.S. Congress.
Obama agrees that the embargo should be ended and propaganda against the communist government has already been toned down, but there is little prospect of the United States withdrawing from Guantánamo Bay or paying compensation.
Portuguese President Aníbal António Cavaco Silva said his country welcomed the normalization of diplomatic relations, and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet called the rapprochement “a historic step for our region and the world”.
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Castro, the 84-year-old veteran revolutionary who succeeded his brother Fidel in 2006, made his first address to the Assembly a few hours after Obama took the podium.
