In a statement, President Barack Obama notes the restoration of commercial flights comes one year after his announced intentions to normalize relations with Cuba.
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In a rare broadcast of his speech on state television, the 84-year-old leader said, “Cuba will continue insisting that to achieve the normalization of relations it is imperative that the government of the United States remove all policies of the past”.
There are also outstanding issues dating back to the last Civil Aviation Agreement between the two countries, which was suspended in the early 1960s, according to the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council.
The deal to resume regular commercial flights was finalised last night, an official was quoted as saying by CNN.
The two countries have reopened embassies in Havana and Washington; agreed to a pilot program restarting direct mail service; signed two deals on environmental protection; and launched talks on issues from human rights to compensation for USA properties confiscated by Cuba’s revolution.
They fear the normalizing of relations will end the special U.S. residency rights granted to Cubans since 1966. “Because the Obama administration awarded these renewed relations without demanding anything in return”, she adds, “the United States has lost its position of leverage”. Removing the US tourism embargo could raise that to more than 20 percent.
In other words, the announcement today is a long way from the reality of regularly scheduled flights between the United States and Cuba.
And, of course, there was only one suitable place to hold this soirée: the recently re-opened Embassy of the Republic of Cuba.
“Interest in Cuba has reached levels not seen for a generation”, its Senior Vice President for Airline Planning Scott Laurence said in the statement.
Thomas Engle, the U.S. State Office’s representative aide secretary for transportation undertakings, said there could be up to 110 round-outing flights a day under the new assention, nearly quadrupling the present stream.
The US also announced the start of commercial flights between the two countries.
But Mr. Obama’s loosening of restrictions on US companies doing business with Cuba has led to few deals so far, though many major companies have visited the island to explore opportunities. In an interview with Yahoo News, Mr. Obama said Cuba must allow foreign investors to hire Cuban employees themselves rather than through the Cuban government and needs to reform its dual currency.
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“Sometimes I prefer to send them money instead of paying all the travel expenses”, she said.
