Roundup: Cuba, U.S. must learn from each other: U.S. secretary of commerce

Cuba and the United States must learn from each other, visiting U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker said here Wednesday night.

"The fact is that in the U.S., there is still much ignorance on the Cuban economy, in order to understand it fully, and that's why I'm here," she said at a press conference. "I'm also here to inaugurate the regulatory dialogue."

She said her visit to the island is to learn from the Cuban leaders, to have a glimpse into how their system works and how the local economy handles the exports and imports issue and the products distribution throughout the island.

The visit was "purely technical" to interact with Cuban officials on the scope and limitations of measures taken by the U.S. government since January this year to help normalize bilateral trade, according to the U.S. senior official, the second member of President Barack Obama administration traveling to Havana in less than two months.

She is also the second member of the administration visiting Cuba in more than half a century after the trip of Secretary of State John Kerry, who presided over an official opening ceremony of the U.S. Embassy on Aug. 14.

Pritzker highlighted her government is interested in changing the previous regulations of trade and travel restrictions, and encouraging more business opportunities between American and Cuban companies.

The U.S. official and her delegation, comprised highly qualified experts from the departments of State, Commerce and Treasury, arrived in the country on Tuesday and visited the first Special Development Zone.

Pritzker chaired Wednesday morning a forum attended by representatives of both governments and business leaders, aimed to address the scope and limitations of measures adopted by the U.S. administration to ease certain restrictions against Cuba as the two countries endeavor to normalize ties.

She highlighted several measures, including making it easier for Cubans abroad to send remittances, and easing restrictions on U.S. citizens who want to travel to Cuba and what they can bring back from Cuba.

"We do not pretend that these measures will change the lives of Cubans overnight," said Pritzker, adding that "we can build a more open relationship between our two nations."

The largest obstacle ahead is still the U.S.-led trade embargo that has stifled the Caribbean nation's economy for more than five decades.

At the forum, Rodrigo Malmierca, Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, urged U.S. president to further minimize the effects of the embargo against Cuba while recognizing the Obama administration's efforts.

"We must continue working to end that policy, which constitutes the main obstacle to the progress toward the normalization of ties between the two nations," he said.

Obama could still exercise certain presidential powers and prerogatives to further minimize the effects of the embargo, he said.

Cuban President Raul Castro and his U.S. counterpart surprised the world on Dec. 17 with a joint announcement on agreeing to restore diplomatic ties severed by Washington in 1961.

The two countries restored their diplomatic relations on July 20. John Kerry and Cuban Foreign Minister Rodriguez announced the creation of the bilateral commission on Aug. 14, as Kerry visited Cuba to officially reopen the U.S. embassy in Havana. Endi