(VOVworld) – Cuba has once again asked the US to lift its trade embargo and hand over control of the naval base at Guantanamo to Cuba.

President Raúl Castro of Cuba remarked on President Obama's height during a meeting on Tuesday at the United Nations. (Photo: The New York Times)

Cuban President Raul Castro says this is a condition for the two countries to normalize their bilateral ties. Mr. Castro made the request at a meeting with US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York. Following the meeting, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said the two leaders agreed on a joint program working towards normalization. Rodriguez said that President Castro called for an end to the trade embargo, the return of the Guantanamo Bay military base, and compensation for decades of economic damage. This is the second meeting between Cuban President Raul Castro and US President Barack Obama since they announced a diplomatic reconciliation last December.