Context favorable for restoring Cuba-U.S. diplomatic ties: official official

The U.S. removal of Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, among other developments, would help create an appropriate context to restore bilateral diplomatic relations, a Cuban official said on Monday.

Gustavo Machin, deputy director for U.S. affairs in the Cuban foreign ministry, made the remarks in a release published on the official website of the Cuban foreign ministry, prior to Cuba-U.S. negotiations to be held on Thursday in Washington on re-establishing diplomatic ties.

The United States said last month it would remove Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, effective on May 29.

The move, in addition to progresses made for Cuba's interests section in Washington to resume access to bank services, was cited by Machin as in favor of an appropriate context to normalize bilateral ties.

He said "everything is ready" for the upcoming talks which would focus on an agreement on the conduct of diplomats, and upgrading the current interests sections in Havana and Washington to embassies.

Several rounds of negotiations have been held in Washington and Havana since last December when U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced an end to the longtime hostility between the two countries, which severed diplomatic ties in 1961. Endi