U.S.,Cuba to resume talks on migration, direct mail: official_English_Xinhua
www.chinaview.cn 2009-05-31 22:59:47
WASHINGTON, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Cuba has agreed to resume talks with the United States over issues of migration and direct mail, a U.S. government official said on Sunday.
Cuba notified Washington on Saturday that it had agreed to resume the U.S.-proposed talks, said the official who asked not to be identified.
Cuba also expressed its willingness to cooperate with the United States on fighting terrorism, drug trafficking and hurricane disaster preparedness, the official said.
It has been noticed that Cuba made the notification just before U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton left on a trip to El Salvador and Honduras.
Clinton is expected to attend a meeting Tuesday in Honduras where Cuba's possible readmission to the Organization of American States will be discussed. Cuba was expelled from the 34-member group in 1962.
Washington offered in mid-May to resume talks with Cuba about migration of Cuban nationals to the United States, a fresh sign of U.S. President Barack Obama's effort to engage with the island country.
The talks between the two countries were last held in 2003 and were unilaterally suspended by the Bush administration in 2004.
EE UU propone a Cuba retomar el diálogo sobre la inmigraciónLas últimas conversaciones se celebraron en 2003 y fueron suspendidas por el entonces presidente George W. Bush
ELPAÍS.com / AGENCIAS - Washington - 23/05/2009
En una nueva muestra de buena disposición hacia Cuba, el Departamento de Estado de EE UU ha anunciado este viernes que ha ofrecido a La Habana retomar el diálogo sobre la inmigración de la isla a EE UU. La oferta llega sólo dos meses después de que Obama levantase las restricciones a las visitas y a las remesas de los cubanoestadounidenses a Cuba.
"Tenemos la intención de renovar conversaciones con el fin de reafirmar el compromiso de ambas partes a favor de una migración legal y ordenada", ha señalado Heide Bronke, portavoz del Departamento de Estado. La misma fuente ha añadido que la oferta se ha realizado este viernes en Washington durante una reunión con diplomáticos cubanos y que el objetivo del diálogo sería "mejorar la relación operacional con Cuba en temas de migración".
La noticia ha producido reacciones opuestas en Estados Unidos. Robert Pastor, consejero de temas latinoamericanos durante el Gobierno de Jimmy Carter, ha asegurado al diario The New York Times que la oferta de reanudar el diálogo sobre temas migratorios es un "paso muy importante en la relación entre los dos países". No obstante, las voces críticas tampoco han tardado en llegar. En declaraciones al mismo periódico, tres delegados de Florida al Congreso han denunciado que EE UU considere dialogar con una dictadura. "Desafortunadamente", han afirmado en un comunicado, "esto constituye otro ofrecimiento unilateral de nuestro presidente".
Por su parte, la influyente Fundación Nacional Cubano Americana (FNCA), el principal grupo del exilio con sede en Miami, ha celebrado la posible apertura de dialogo y ha considerado que se trata de una medida "positiva" y una "oportunidad" para resolver asuntos de interés nacional para EE UU. Para Lilia López, una analista de la oficina en Washington sobre temas latinoamericanos, la noticia es positiva para los intereses estadounidenses: "Creo que es uno de los temas clave para reanudar las relaciones entre EE UU y Cuba". López cree que el diálogo impediría el éxodo masivo de cubanos al continente, como ya ocurrió en 1980 y en 1994.
La última vez que los dos Gobiernos se sentaron a hablar sobre inmigración fue en 2003, cuando el entonces presidente estadounidense George W. Bush suspendió los contactos al considerar inaceptable que La Habana no diese un visado de salida a aquellos cubanos que obtuviesen un visado de entrada a EE UU.
BBC NEWS | Americas | US offers migration talks to Cuba
Washington has offered to resume talks on legal immigration by Cubans to the US, the US state department says.
It says the move aims to "reaffirm both sides' commitment to safe, legal and orderly migration".
The talks were halted in 2003 after Havana refused to give exit permits to people who had been granted US visas.
In March, President Barack Obama eased restrictions on visits to the Communist island by Cuban-Americans and allowed them to send money home more easily.
Curbs on sending medicines and food were also eased.
The legislation overturned rules imposed by the Bush administration which had limited travel to just two weeks every three years and had confined visits to immediate family members.
'Seeking dialogue'
On Friday, State Department spokeswoman Darla Jordan said President Obama wanted "to ensure that we are doing all we can to support the Cuban people in fulfilling their desire to live in freedom".
"He will continue to make policy decisions accordingly," the spokeswoman added.
Cuba has so far not commented on Washington's latest offer.
President Obama has recently indicated he would be open to dialogue with Cuba's leaders.
But he has said that, like previous American presidents, he will only consider a full lifting of the embargo - in place since 1962 - once Cuba makes significant moves such as the holding of democratic elections.
Cuba's President Raul Castro has said he is prepared to negotiate with the new US administration, providing there are no preconditions.
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