US President Barack Obama is reportedly to remove Cuba from a list of state sponsors of terrorism on Friday, And Cuba and the United States are also expected to formally announce the re-opening of embassies in Havana and D.C. next week.
The decision to remove Cuba from the list is a crucial step in Obama’s effort to turn the page on Cold War era hostilities. It would eliminate a major obstacle to the restoration of diplomatic ties. The decision followed a much-anticipated meeting between Obama and Cuban leader Raúl Castro on the sidelines of the Summit of the Americas meeting in Panama last month.
It was the first such formal session between the leaders of the two countries in more than a half-century. The two nations are preparing for full embassies staffed with full level ambassadors. The date of the embassy re-opening has not been confirmed.