Direct mail talks with Cuba 'positive,' US says

Direct mail talks with Cuba 'positive,' US says
Published on Monday, September 21, 2009

WASHINGTON, USA (AFP) -- The first round of talks on restoring direct
mail service between long-time foes Cuba and the United States were
"positive," the US State Department said.

"The United States considers this first round of talks to have been
positive," State Department spokesman PJ Crowley said in a statement.

During the one-day meeting in Havana on Thursday, "a variety of issues
related to the transportation, quality and security of mail service
between our countries were discussed," he added.

The US delegation was led by Bisa Williams, the deputy assistant
secretary of state for western hemisphere affairs -- the
administration's pointwoman on Cuba.

The first senior State Department representative to visit the communist
island since 2002, she was accompanied by officials from the US Postal
Service.

The Cuban delegation offered US officials a tour of a mail processing
center and post office, while the US delegation offered to reciprocate
with a visit to an international processing center in the United States.

Both sides agreed to meet again, Crowley said.

Direct postal links between the two countries have been suspended since
1963, with mail being sent via third countries, including Mexico.

Thursday's talks are the latest in a series of tentative steps the two
countries have taken towards improved relations since US President
Barack Obama came to office.

"Establishing direct mail service between our two countries supports
President Obama's goals, as announced April 13, of bridging the gap
among divided Cuban families and promoting the free flow of information
to the Cuban people," said Crowley.

"We will be reviewing the results of our discussions to determine how
best to move forward on this issue."

Obama has lifted travel and money transfer restrictions on
Cuban-Americans with relatives in Cuba.

But his administration has insisted that Cuba release political
prisoners and improve political freedoms before it is readmitted to
regional bodies like the Organization of American States.

The president also raised the ire of the Cuban government by choosing to
renew last week the Trading with the Enemy Act, which provided the
original basis for the US embargo on Cuba.

Caribbean Net News: Direct mail talks with Cuba 'positive,' US says (21
September 2009)
http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-18911--5-5--.html