Cuba confirms meeting with US officials on island, wants energy blockade lifted
HAVANA (AP) — The Cuban government confirmed Monday that it recently met with U.S. officials on the island as tensions remain high between the two sides over the U.S. energy blockade of Cuba. caribbean country.
Senior US State Department officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: he said on friday It was stated that American diplomats flew to the island at the beginning of April for the first time since 2016 as part of a new diplomatic initiative. Neither U.S. nor Cuban officials said exactly when the meeting took place or which U.S. officials attended.
Alejandro García del Toro, deputy director general for US affairs at the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement on Monday that the US delegation included deputy foreign ministers, while the Cuban delegation included representatives at the deputy foreign minister level.
The meeting was conducted “respectfully and professionally,” he said, adding that the US delegation did not issue any threats or deadlines as reported in some US media.
Garcia del Toro said, “Lifting the energy embargo imposed on the country was one of the top priorities for our delegation.” “This act of economic oppression is an unjust punishment against the entire Cuban population.”
He added: “This is also a form of global blackmail against sovereign states that have the right to export fuel to Cuba under the rules governing free trade.”
Among the lifting conditions US sanctions on CubaWashington is pressing the Cuban government to end political repression, release political prisoners and liberalize its struggling economy.
US Donald Trump in late January tariffs under threat To any country that sells or supplies oil to Cuba. Trump also threatened to intervene in the country and Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel he said this last week his country is ready to fight if this happens.
