The U.S. official and Cabrisas spoke on “the interests of United States agriculture” and the restrictions of the USA embargo against Cuba, said the Cuban news agency.
Advertisement
Josefina Vidal noted that while a deal on direct flights would be finalized, it’s unclear when those flights will be operational.
Even with a flight agreement, travel to Cuba by Americans would still be limited by the US economic embargo that bans general tourism to the Communist-ruled island.
Cuban President Raul Castro has reiterated that in order for full relations to be re-established, the United States must meet four conditions: abandon the Guantanamo Bay prison camp; end the blockade; end the “wet-foot-dry-foot” law encouraging Cubans to pursue residency in the U.S.by granting them citizenship if they touch US soil; and end anti-government radio and television transmissions into the island. “I am nearly certain that by the end of the year we can announce a few results in those areas”.
Gustavo Machin is deputy director for USA affairs at Cuba’s Foreign Ministry and said in Havana that a deal on flights could come in the “short term”.
“I think this is one of the issues that we have advanced on most and on which we are close to reaching an agreement”, Machin said.
The United States would also address the potential for Cuba’s state-owned carrier, Cubana de Aviación, to share its flight codes with US airlines and sell tickets on flights operated by U.S airlines, according to the USA official.
Advertisement
Havana and Washington will hold tomorrow, here, the second meeting of the Bilateral Commission founded after the restoration of diplomatic relations.
