US, Cuba to discuss resuming postal links
September 2nd, 2009 - 9:38 am ICT by IANS
Washington, Sep 2 (EFE) The US and Cuba will hold talks this month on the resumption of direct mail service between the two countries after a gap of 46 years, according to media reports.
The proposed meeting on mail services will be held in Havana, Spanish-language newspaper El Nuevo Herald reported Tuesday, citing unnamed US State Department officials.
In July this year, the US and Cuba resumed their talks on immigration after they were broken off by the George W. Bush administration in 2003.
Since inauguration, the administration of President Barack Obama has however been trying to improve relations with Cuba
In April, Obama lifted restrictions on travel to the communist island and the sending of remittances there by relatives of Cuban citizens, which has led to a certain opening up toward the island.
To accomplish that, the then-top US diplomat for Latin America, Thomas Shannon, held discussions with the head of the Cuban Interests Section in Washington, Jorge Bolanos.
Shortly thereafter, it became known that Washington had offered to resume talks with Havana on immigration matters.
On May 31, Cuba accepted the invitation to resume those talks, as well as discussions about restarting postal service between the two countries.
The US and Cuba have not had diplomatic relations for almost half a century, and Washington has maintained an economic embargo against the communist-ruled island since the fall of 1962.
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Tags: barack obama, bush administration, communist island, cuban citizens, cuban interests section, diplomatic relations, direct mail service, economic embargo, el nuevo herald, george w bush, half a century, immigration matters, latin america, mail services, remittances, resumption, spanish language, state department officials, thomas shannon, us state department