Statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

AS opportunely announced, on February 19, 2010, a new round of migration talks took place in Havana with the United States government.

As was the case during the round held in New York, other issues were discussed during this exchange. This time, Cuba’s delegation reiterated the proposals made in July to the U.S. side, referring to cooperation in confronting drug trafficking, terrorism and human trafficking, protecting the environment and responding to natural disasters. In particular, we expressed our willingness to sign an agreement with the United States government for confronting drug trafficking, on the basis of the project recently presented by Cuba, in January 2010, via diplomatic channels.

Additionally, the Cuban delegation reiterated the essential issues to be addressed in an eventual dialogue process, aimed at improving relations: the lifting of the economic, commercial and financial blockade; the exclusion of Cuba from the spurious list of terrorist countries; abrogation of the Cuban Adjustment Act and the "wet-foot/dry-foot policy"; compensation for economic and human damages; the return of the territory occupied by the Guantánamo naval base; the end of anti-Cuba radio and television aggression from the United States, and an end to the financing of internal subversion.

The Cuban delegation thoroughly addressed as an essential issue on that agenda the application for the liberation of the five Cuban anti-terrorists who have been suffering, for 11 years, unjust imprisonment in the United States for combating terrorism.

Full text of the Declaration