USA-Cuba | Washington, Havana reach agreement to open embassies

A classic American car passes in front of some signs that reads in Spanish “Long Live Free Cuba” in Havana

The United States and Cuba have agreed to open embassies in each other’s capitals, the biggest tangible step in the countries’ historic bid to restore ties after more than a half-century of hostilities.
President Barack Obama was expected to announce the agreement yesterday at the White House. The U.S. Embassy in Havana is scheduled to open later this month.
The U.S. and Cuba have been negotiating the re-establishment of embassies following a surprise December announcement that secret talks had led to an agreement to restart diplomatic relations.
For Obama, ending the U.S. freeze with Cuba is central to his foreign policy legacy as he nears the end of his presidency. Obama has long promoted the value of direct engagement with global foes and has argued that the U.S. embargo on the communist island just 145 kilometers south of Florida was ineffective.
A senior Obama administration official confirmed the embassy planning. The official insisted on anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter ahead of the president.
Secretary of State John Kerry, who is in Vienna for nuclear negotiations with Iran, is also expected to speak about the embassy openings. Kerry has said previously that he would travel to Cuba for an embassy opening.
Cuba’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday evening that it would meet with U.S. Interests Section chief Jeffrey DeLaurentis yesterday morning to receive a message from Obama about reopening embassies.
The U.S. cut off diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1961 after Fidel Castro’s revolution. The U.S. spent decades trying to either actively overthrow Cuba’s communist government or isolate the island, including toughening the economic embargo first imposed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Since the late 1970s, the United States and Cuba have operated diplomatic missions called interests sections in each other’s capitals. The missions are technically under the protection of Switzerland and do not enjoy the same status as embassies.
Significant issues remain as the U.S. and Cuba look to normalize relations. Among them: talks on human rights; demands for compensation for confiscated American properties in Havana and damages to Cuba from the embargo; and possible cooperation on law enforcement, including the touchy topic of U.S. fugitives sheltering in Havana. Julie Pace, White House, Correspondent, Washington, AP