No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsGlobalUS President Obama and Cuba's Castro to 'interact' at Americas summit, says...

US President Obama and Cuba’s Castro to ‘interact’ at Americas summit, says US official

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. President Barack Obama and his Cuban counterpart Raúl Castro will have an “interaction” when they attend next week’s Summit of the Americas in Panama, a U.S. official said Friday.

It will be the first between the two leaders since the historic rapprochement between Havana and Washington.

“Clearly President Obama knew when he made the decision to go to the summit, and he knew that Cuba had been invited to the summit, … that there would be an interaction,” U.S. State Department official Roberta Jacobson said at the Brookings Institution.

“The leaders are together a lot of the time. And so there will be an interaction with Raúl Castro,” she added, declining to speculate about the nature of any possible meeting between the two leaders.

But she added Obama’s only confirmed meeting was with Panama leader Juan Carlos Varela.

“None of the president’s meetings are scheduled other than his bilateral with President Varela as the host,” she said.

“So I don’t know exactly what kind of an interaction that will be. But they’ve obviously already spoken on the phone, … and there’s been a lot of interaction since then at a lower level.”

In separate remarks, State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf expressed skepticism that the thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations may lead to the opening of embassies in Havana and Washington before next week’s summit, which takes place on April 10-11.

Asked to give an assessment of the likelihood of embassies being opened before the summit, Harf replied: “It’s not a lot of time, let’s put it that way.”

The United States and Cuba have already held three rounds of talks since January on restoration of diplomatic relations and the reopening of their embassies.

Washington had initially targeted a reopening of the embassies in time for the Summit of the Americas.

Trending Now

2025 Gold Cup: Honduras Advances After Dramatic Shootout, Mexico Ends Goal Drought

Honduras, with a surprising and dramatic penalty shootout victory over Panama, and Mexico, with a lackluster win against Saudi Arabia, advanced Saturday to the...

Costa Rica Moves Forward with Crypto Regulation to Combat Financial Crime

Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly has advanced a landmark bill targeting the regulation of virtual asset service providers (VASPs), aiming to bolster the nation’s defenses...

Costa Rica Pushes USA to the Brink but Falls in Penalty Heartbreak

If you just caught the end of the USA vs. Costa Rica Gold Cup quarterfinal, you probably feel like you need another cup of...

Retired Nicaraguan Army Captain Sentenced to 50 Years for Treason

A retired military officer was sentenced to 50 years in prison in Nicaragua for the crime of "treason against the homeland," his family denounced...

Hondurans March to Mark 2009 Coup as Election Battle Heats Up

Thousands of government supporters marched Saturday in the capital of Honduras to commemorate the anniversary of the 2009 coup that ousted then-leftist President Manuel...

Costa Rica Green Hotels Lead Global Sustainable Tourism

Costa Rica’s reputation as a leader in sustainable tourism grows stronger every year, with our green hotels setting a high bar for eco-conscious hospitality...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica