Cuba and the U.S. resume dialogue on migration
Articles - International
Saturday February 20, 2010
HAVANA (AP)
Officials in Cuba and the United States resumed talks yesterday and discussed issues on migration to a new deal in that matter, the only official contact point between the two countries. The speaker of the U.S. Interests Section in Washington on the island, Gloria Berbena, morning confirmed the resumption of negotiations and a press release from the island's Foreign Ministry said later that "the meeting was conducted in a respectful environment." "Both delegations assessed the behavior of existing migration accords between the two countries. They also discussed aspects contained in the proposed new immigration agreement, submitted by Cuba in the round held in July 2009," the communique from the islands.


Headed by Vice Dagoberto Rodriguez, the Cuban delegation reiterated its rejection of the Cuban Adjustment Act that overlaps the migratory agreements - under which the islanders intercepted at sea be repatriated - allowing them to stay for those who arrive by any route U.S. territory.

The U.S. side was led by Craig Kelly, the assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, the highest official to travel to Cuba in years.

The migration accords "are suitable for both countries and seek to verify how these meetings are being implemented," said Friday's parliamentary leader Ricardo Alarcon, one of the most influential advisers to the Cuban government in its relations with the United States.

"What we hope is that someday the United States respond to the proposals we have made further to reach agreements in other areas such as combating terrorism and drug," Alarcon said after participating in a meeting with Mexican legislators.

The meeting comes amid a controversy over the arrest in Cuba of U.S. citizen Alan P. Gross accused of having links with the secret service of his country and proposals for the island to be considered the other conventions.

This round was originally scheduled for December and the second after years without contact, for although settled in the 90s, had been suspended by the tensions with the administration of former President George Bush.

During the making of the first, in July in the U.S., the talks were viewed as a sign of the changes that might occur after 50 years of binational conflict under the administration of Barack Obama. The U.S. government maintains trade sanctions to press for a change in the island's communist system.

Cuba reported in January that Washington had also proposed to negotiate a new agreement on migration and the other for combat human trafficking and terrorism, which now hopes to answer.

U.S. calls for release of contractor

The assistant secretary of state for Latin America, Craig Kelly, Cuba yesterday urged the "immediate liberation" of U.S. contractor arrested Dec. 4 on charges of spying, according to a statement issued in Havana.

"The United States delegation separately addressed the case of U.S. citizen held in Cuba on December 4 and demanded his immediate release," said the note handed to the press by the U.S. Interests Section in Havana to Washington after a meeting on migration.

The U.S. government identifies Alan Gross, 60 years as a contractor of the company Development Alternatives (DAI) was trying to help Jewish groups to communicate with the outside giving phones and computers. By contrast, Cuba is accused of providing the "sophisticated" media to the opposition "mercenaries" of the United States.