Presidents of the US and Cuba Barack Obama and Raul Castro declared start of the work on restoring diplomatic relations between their respective states. They revealed the news in their statements which were broadcast simultaneously on American and Cuban TV channels. This decision has put an end to the economic embargo that the US introduced against Cuba over 50 years ago. One of the principal conditions for the US to normalize its relations with Cuba was US citizen Alan Gross’s release from a Cuban prison. Meanwhile, the BBC reports that the US will reopen their embassy in Cuba and hold a series of talks with its government on migration, drug trafficking, environmental protection, and human trafficking issues. According to expert of the National Institute for Strategic Studies Kostiantyn Kononenko, “It is a breakthrough for both the US and Cuba. Cuba suffered greatly from this embargo, so its lifting is a very significant thing for that country. It will allow it to improve its economic situation. For the US, it will be an additional opportunity to return to Cuba via economic means. It may also improve the US’s position in Latin America and the Caribbean region,” Kononenko observed in a comment for The Day.
