(VOVworld) – Cubans on Monday raised Cuba's national flag over the country's newly opened embassy in Washington DC, as diplomatic relations between two nations were restored after more than half a century.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez met with Secretary of State John Kerry (Photo: Reuters)

After the flag-raising ceremony, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez met with Secretary of State John Kerry, becoming the first Cuban foreign minister to set foot in the State Department since 1958. At a joint press conference after the talks, Kerry welcomed the resumption of normal diplomatic ties between US and Cuba and the re-opening of their embassies after a rupture that has last 54 years. John Kerry said that the normalization process between the US and Cuba will take time but it will benefit the people of both countries. He added that President Barack Obama has called on Congress to lift the embargo towards Cuba. Kerry announced that he would make a reciprocal visit to Cuba to dedicate the US Embassy in Havana on August 14.