News Analysis: Cuba moves steadily toward full-fledged ties with U.S.

Cuba is keeping a steady pace in seeking its full-fledged ties with the United States, despite its ongoing negotiations with Washington on communication, medicine, sports, aviation and trade.

Behind the seemingly placid pace is Cuba's adherence to its core interests, which constitutes a sharp contrast to the U.S. eagerness to play the Havana card for renewed control of its "backyard," together with a highly-anticipated radical revision of its domestic political setup.

"We have made it clear that some principles cannot be traded," Cuban First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel told Venezuela-based news agency Telesur in late April while commenting on the U.S.-Latin America ties.

Cuba and the United States announced a decision in December 2014 to restore their diplomatic ties, which were severed 54 years ago.

At the seventh Summit of the Americas in Panama City a few days ago, U.S. President Barack Obama told the press that "over time it is possible for us to turn the page and develop a new relationship between our two countries."

However, Cuban leader Raul Castro, who posed for a photo session for the handshake with his U.S. counterpart that reportedly "rocked the hemisphere," insisted that "we have agreed to disagree when I say that I agree with everything that the president has just said."

While the verbal tug of war was taking place, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff beat the drum on the side, saying that "they are building a road, and when you are building a road, you don't expect to finish it right away."

Obviously, there is a long bumpy road ahead for the Cuban-U.S. ties, as Washington continues to push its so-called "engagement policy" through Latin America, and Cuba remains closely allied to regional partners like Venezuela to recover their long-lost rights and safeguard their sovereignty.

As part of the increased engagement, U.S. NBA stars came to teach Cuban kids how to play basketball in accordance with their own rules, and more Cuban properties have been posted on U.S. websites to attract touring tenants.

Moreover, direct charter flights can now shuttle between New York and Havana, Google executives have visited Cuban to woo its IT students, and direct phone links between the two countries have finally been restored to facilitate cross-border talks.

Cuba has relaxed its rein on social issues, but the government has never yielded on its core demands, such as lifting the decades-old trade embargo against the island country, returning the Guantanamo Bay, and removing Havana from the U.S. list of alleged state sponsors of terrorism.

A preliminary victory was scored, as Cuba issued a statement hailing the White House decision, announced right after the Summit of the Americas, to take Havana off the "list of notoriety" in which "it should have never been included."

Meanwhile, as Havana aims to normalize relations with Washington, it is inevitable for the island state to carry out political and economic reforms.

In last week's municipal elections, more than 19 percent of the candidates were under the age of 30. Raul Castro, the Cuban leader, is 83. His elder brother, Fidel Castro, the former leader, is 88.

Earlier, Raul even led a business delegation to the summit to promote investment and trade opportunities, a sign of further opening-up of the long-entrenched nation.

While civilian exchanges have expanded into multiple fields and the official talks on normalization of ties are headed to the fourth round, Havana is meticulously maintaining its balance of ties within the international community.

Officials and delegations of the European Union, France, Spain and the Vatican, as well as Hungary, Russia, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam, have rushed to Havana, or plan to, to promote bilateral cooperation and harvest the benefits of the country's opening-up to the world.

With more regional and international partners in arms, the fragile island with 11.1 million people can surely be a little more powerful in the face of the bullying that could occur at any time during its negotiations with the omnipotent U.S..

Cuba appears meek but dignified, just as Raul Castro said at the summit, "I have said it before and I will say it again now to President Barack Obama. We are disposed to respectful dialogue and civil co-existence between the two states, despite our profound differences."

Latin American nations are standing behind Cuba, whether they are one of its traditional allies or a close neighbor of the United States.

As an evidence of this sort, Mexican English-language daily The News recently carried a commentary that cited "a Latin article of faith: Amigos (friends in Latin) don't criticize amigos."

"The U.S. doesn't understand that no country has the right to certify the conduct of another," noted the Mexican daily. Endi