The Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Carlos Fernández de Cossíodeclared this Monday to The Associated Press that the Cuban government does not currently maintain a dialogue with the United States, but is willing to start one under certain conditions, amid growing tensions between both countries.
“We are not specifically talking about negotiation yet. That is another issue,” said the Cuban diplomat. “We are open to dialogue. If we can have a dialogue, maybe that can lead to a negotiation.”
Cossío indicated that Cuba is ready for an “informal dialogue” with the United States “with the objective of ensuring that we can have a respectful and serious coexistence despite the differences between our two countries.”
Cossío’s statements come days after US President Donald Trump announced that His Administration is beginning to talk with Cuban leaders, after threaten with tariffs on any country that supplies oil to the island.
In the brief interview offered in Havana, the vice minister pointed out that certain issues are out of discussion for Cuba. Among them, he states AP, there would be the Constitution, its economy and its socialist system of government.
“But there are many, many other topics that we can discuss,” Cossío added.
“Cuba is a peaceful country. We just want to relate to America the way we relate to the rest of the world. The United States is the exception today,” he declared.
The statements come as Cuba faces an acute economic crisis, continuous blackouts and an interruption in oil shipments from Venezuela since the US attacked Venezuela and arrested President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, on January 3.
Trump says Cuba will “come to us and make a deal” after new US oil sanctions
When asked how long Cuba can sustain itself under current conditions, Cossío said that could not reveal “any route” of oil supply or to deal with what he described as “a very difficult situation.”
“Cuba, of course, is preparing with creativity, with stoicism and with austerity. What can Cuba do? Just watch us,” he said.
Summary: What have Trump and Rubio said about Cuba after the events of January 3 in Venezuela?
