The Cuba-U.S. Bilateral Commission, meeting in Washington, yesterday November 10, reported progress in agreement on cooperation in the areas of postal service, regular flights, environmental protection, and combating drug trafficking, according to diplomatic sources in Havana.
Gustavo Machín, deputy director general for the United States at the Ministry of Foreign Relations (Minrex), reported to the press that the second meeting of the Commission reviewed the agenda of topics to be addressed by work groups which was established at its first meeting last September, and agreed that steps taken thus far are positive.
Leading the Cuban delegation was Minrex Director General for the U.S. Josefina Vidal Ferreiro, while Deputy Assistant Secretary for South America and Cuba, Edward Alex Lee, headed the group representing the United States.
Machín reported that talks on the establishment of regularly scheduled air travel, to replace unstable charter service, are advancing, and could soon produce tangible results.
An agreement between the two governments could create the necessary conditions, but private companies would put the new policy into practice, he emphasized. At least five major U.S. airlines have expressed interest in establishing regular flights to Cuba: American Airlines, United, JetBlue, Southwest and Delta.
The Cuban diplomat likewise indicated that agreement on the issue of drug trafficking could be established in the short term, to consolidate cooperation which already exists.
The Bilateral Commission additionally agreed to continue the discussion of human rights which began last March in Washington, based on equal conditions and reciprocity, Machín said.
Further conversations on migration and trafficking in persons were scheduled, and the possibility of continuing talks on issues such as maritime-port security, law enforcement and climate change was discussed, Machín said, adding that the Commission also considered the expansion of talks on issues not yet addressed, such as health care and response to pandemics.
The next meeting of the Commission was scheduled to take place in Havana, this coming February.
The establishment of the Bilateral Commission was announced August 14, 2015, by Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez and Secretary of State John Kerry, in Havana, and has as its goal defining the agenda of topics to be addressed, monitoring progress, and directing the process of moving toward normalization of relations between the two countries.
