President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro are preparing to hold historic face-to-face discussions on Saturday, marking the first time leaders of the two nations would be sitting down together since the Cold War.
"I have asked Congress to start working on lifting the embargo to Cuba," Obama said from Panama ahead of the meeting. "I committed to build a new era of cooperation between the countries."
The two presidents shook hands and chatted in Panama on Friday ahead of Saturday's talk, and anticipation was mounting over what effect a conversation might have on U.S.-Cuba relations.
"As the United States begins a new chapter in our relationship with Cuba, we hope it will create an environment that improves the lives of the Cuban people," Obama told a gathering of civil society groups Friday.
Obama and Castro are in Panama for the Summit of the Americas. For decades, the U.S. had blocked Cuba from participating; in December, the Obama administration announced it planned to restore diplomatic and economic ties with Cuba.
Friday's handshake was friendly and brief, and was the second time Obama and Castro had met. The first was in December 2013, for a three-second handshake during Nelson Mandela's memorial service.
Some have speculated that Obama would use Saturday's discussions as an opportunity to announce he was removing Cuba from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. While the U.S. stopped accusing Cuba of terrorism years ago, the State Department has not yet removed it from that list.
Being taken off the list not only would be a point of pride for Castro, it would also have financial benefits for Cuba.
IN-DEPTH
SOCIAL
— Elizabeth Chuck, Phil Helsel and F. Brinley Bruton
First published April 11 2015, 9:21 AM
Source: Top Stories - Google News - http://ift.tt/1aiDR8U
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