WASHINGTON - US and Cuban officials held talks in Washington on bilateral economic issues on Monday for the first time since the countries resumed normal diplomatic ties, diplomats said. Just over a year since the Cold War foes put aside five decades of bad blood to seek normal relations, they focused ongoing discussions on thorny banking and trade issues. Although the talks had a wide-ranging agenda, not much can be pushed forward substantively with a US economic embargo still in place. But Cuba ’s foreign ministry underscored that progress on rapprochement would require an end to the US sanctions that have been clamped on Havana for decades. However, Washington still bans Americans from visiting Cuba as tourists, although travel is permitted for 12 other categories, including cultural and educational exchange.

Source: Viet Nam News September 12, 2016 23:37 UTC