Obama to announce US, Cuba deal to reopen embassies

The Cuban Interests Section in Washington, DC

The United States and Cuba have reached an agreement to reopen embassies in Washington and Havana, an Obama administration official says.  

President Barack Obama will formally announce the deal and provide some of its details at 11:00 am (1500 GMT) on Wednesday, the unnamed official said on Tuesday.

The deal constitutes one of the key foreign policy achievements of the Obama administration.

"We will formally announce tomorrow that the United States and Cuba have reached an agreement to re-establish formal diplomatic relations and open embassies in each other's capitals," the official said.

Diplomatic ties between the Cold War foes have been frozen for more than five decades.

The Cuban flag flies in front of the US Interests Section in Havana. 

Obama announced in December that Washington will start talks with Cuba to normalize diplomatic relations, marking the most significant shift in US foreign policy towards the communist country in over 50 years.

The two countries held 18 months of secret talks that led to a joint announcement on December 17 that the two long-time adversaries would restore diplomatic relations and release prisoners on both sides.

Obama held talks with his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro in April, the first meeting between the nations' leaders since 1956.

US President Barack Obama shakes hands with Cuban President Raul Castro as they hold a bilateral meeting during the Summit of the Americas in Panama City on April 11, 2015.  (AFP photo)

The United States broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1961, two years after Raul’s older brother, Fidel Castro, came to power.

Washington imposed an official embargo against Havana in 1962. Although relations have improved in recent months, the US trade embargo remains in place.

The Republican-dominated Congress has so far refused Obama's request to lift the longstanding embargo.

GJH/GJH


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