(VOVworld) – The US and Cuba will maintain dialogues for restoring diplomatic ties and normalizing bilateral relations.

Members of a special German anti-terror police outside an apartment block in Perleberger Strasse, Berlin, 16 January 2015. (Photo: Independent)

During their first talks in Havana on Wednesday and Thursday, US and Cuban diplomats discussed the possibilities of cooperation in the fight against human trafficking, oil spill prevention, search-and-rescue operations in air accidents, environmental protection, Ebola prevention, and telecommunications.
At a press conference after the talks, Roberta Jacobson, US Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, and Josefina Vidal, head of the Cuban Foreign Ministry’s North American affairs division confirmed that the two sides will use the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to guide the process of renewing ties.
Jacobson hailed their meetings as positive and productive, viewing the opening of embassies as part of the diplomatic relations restoring process. But the normalisation of relations is a far more complicated and lengthy task due to the profound differences between the two countries.
Vidal said Cuba is ready to have dialogues with the US in all areas but won’t give up its principles and consider US’ lifting of trade embargo against Cuba the key to normalising relations.