Cuba has held several rounds of talks with representatives of the State Department, the FBI, the CIA and the US Southern Command over the past ten months. This was stated by Havana’s permanent representative to the UN, Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, in an interview with TASS.
“We are seeking to establish cooperation in a number of areas. Our position is that any bilateral dialogue must be based on equality, respect for independence and sovereignty, and non-interference in internal affairs,” the diplomat said.
According to him, developing dialogue with the United States is among Havana’s priorities, despite the fact that serious disagreements continue between the two countries. Cuba insists that the talks should not address the country’s domestic political course and should be conducted with mutual respect.
A series of contacts between Washington and Havana
The announcement comes against the backdrop of several confirmed high-level contacts between US and Cuban representatives. On May 29, US Southern Command commander General Francis Donovan met with Cuban military representatives near the US naval base at Guantánamo. According to the US side, the talks focused on operational security, while the Cuban armed forces described them as positive and said that the two sides had agreed to maintain communication.
During the same period, CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Cuba, while State Department representatives had previously been in Havana. CBS News reported that the US administration had linked the possibility of economic and negotiating cooperation to “fundamental changes” on the island.
On the Cuban side, the specific topics and results of the talks with US agencies have not been made public. Soberón Guzmán also did not give a date for the next round of negotiations, but made it clear that Havana wants to keep the channels of communication open, regardless of its differences with Washington.
Earlier, TASS reported that Cuba was ready for dialogue with the US based on reciprocity, equality, and respect for sovereignty and independence. Havana rules out discussions of issues related to regime change or the removal of the Cuban leadership.
Sources: tass.com, apnews.com, cbsnews.com