Cuba: We want normalized U.S. relations

Cuban President Raul Castro (R) listens to Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez (L) at Jose Marti airport in Havana, on March 30, 2011. / Getty Images

UNITED NATIONS - Cuba wants to re-establish relations with the United States with a focus on humanitarian and other issues, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said Monday.

Rodriguez also called on President Barack Obama to release five Cubans serving U.S. espionage sentences, telling the opening of the new U.N. General Assembly that the continued imprisonment of the five men convicted of espionage in 2001 is "inhumane." The Cuban government refers to the five men as heroes who were gathering information about terrorist groups in the United States to protect their homeland.

The foreign minister said the two countries had many points of understanding in common.

"The Cuban government reiterates its willingness and interest to move toward the normalization of relations with the United States," Rodriguez said.

Cuba accuses Bill Richardson of "blackmail"

"Today I reiterate the proposal of beginning a dialogue aimed at solving bilateral problems, including humanitarian issues, as well as the offer of negotiating several cooperation agreements to combat drug-trafficking, terrorism, human smuggling, prevent natural disasters and protect the environment."

Among the humanitarian issues pending between the two countries is the continued imprisonment of American Alan Gross, who the Cuban government accuses of illegally bringing communications equipment onto the island while on a USAID-funded democracy building program.

In March of this year he was sentenced to 15 years in prison for crimes against the state.

Cuban officials including President Raul Castro accused him of spying, but Gross says he was only trying to help the island's tiny Jewish community get Internet access.

The case has harmed any chance of improved relations between Washington and Havana, which briefly seemed to be getting better after Obama assumed the presidency.

In an interview with The New York Times during his current visit to the United States, Rodriguez did not rule out the possibility of Gross being freed for humanitarian reasons. But he indicated Cuba would expect some kind of reciprocal action.

Rodriguez did not mention Gross in his speech to the assembly on Monday, but spoke several times about the five imprisoned Cubans.

[Dgunner]

Cuba does not have a thing we need and we have everything they need.Thier cigars are great but the majority of americans that don't smoke cigars do not want then pulling on our society. The next program financed by the american tax payer will be to seperate the cubans from mexican immigrants.

[jmcauliff-2009]

President Obama has taken some important steps but he can do lots more, including his campaign pledge to meet with President Castro.

On a practical level he could allow much easier travel, permit the Cubans to make use of the dollar internationally, allow imports and exports with the growing private sector,and end Cuba's irrational inclusion in the list of State Sponsors of Terror.

Humanitarian gestures should be made by both sides, and have great symbolic value, but do little to really change things.

John McAuliff
Fund for Reconciliation and Development

[afmcalax]

Cuba ???? But of course we have normal relationships with China and Russia which are at lot more repressive and threatening. We even have normal relations with Vietnam which we fought a war against. We have normal relations with Venezuala which threatens us daily. The argument that we do not normalize our relations with Cuba because of human rights or threats is laughable ... this is another moronic Republican gambit to mollify a couple hundred Cuban ex-pats that want to return to their wealth and go back to oppressing their workers.

[facelessdrone2005]

Agree with Anotheryahoo, our policy toward Cuba is idiotic. We fought a war with Vietnam for decades, yet we have normal relations and trade with them now. Cuba harbored some missiles 50 years ago, they were taken out, and they never threatened us again. Time to get over it.

[tsigili]

Sounds like they simply want foreign aid from the US.

This country is already giving away hundreds of billions, in borrowed money. No way we can add Cuba to the list of free loaders our government gives money to.

[you_MAY_be_right]

We could once again start importing Cuban cigars. Think of the tax dollars it could generate.

[spengolf]

The United States government should not offer a free hand to Cuba with normalizing relationships. Cuba has a poor human rights record when it comes to race relationships and freedom of speech in their country. They have threatened the security of the United States for years and to offer any form of normal relationship to a country that refuses change is more of a threat to our security. Cuba has not shown the world community that it is ready to conduct its self as a free and open democracy.

[Canuck42]

How about past US relations with Egypt, Libya, USSR, Syria, and China for a few examples. Boy, you put your foot in your mouth!!!!

[Imthaid2]

Cuba can't have relations with america because Obama is all about change. Of course what Obama means is no change.

[gohan31]

Open the doors and let peace and prosperity begin for our southern neighbor.

[myopinionpal]

They are tired of driving those 1957 Chevys that don't have AC.

[rwsmith29456]

How long can this go on?