Roundup: Cuba, U.S. work to bolster ties before Obama term ends

Cuba and the United States are working to consolidate restored diplomatic ties with less than a month left before U.S. President Barack Obama's term ends.

The two countries signed Wednesday new memorandums of understanding in Washington on cooperation and research in fields of mutual interest, including meteorology, seismology and wildlife conservation.

As both sides are aware that the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump may be less than supportive of the bilateral rapprochement, they have stepped up the effort to normalize ties. Trump, who will take office on Jan. 20, has criticized the White House's about-face on Cuba on more than one occasion.

Following the death of Fidel Castro, Cuba's revolutionary leader, Trump's designated Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said his boss "will definitely reverse" Obama's foreign policy on Cuba, unless Cuban authorities agree to make more concessions.

According to state daily Granma, the agreements signed on Wednesday call for jointly studying climate models, expanding and integrating weather monitoring networks, and studying hurricane forecasting systems.

"We trust this step will be the beginning of a sustained scientific relationship and of greater collaboration between the meteorological communities of Cuba and the United States," the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment's Deputy Minister Fernando Gonzalez said.

Since the two countries jointly announced on Dec. 17, 2014 their decision to start restoring ties, they have exchanged 24 high-level visits and signed 12 agreements, with more on the way.

In addition, there have been upwards of 1,200 exchanges in the fields of culture, sports and education, among others.

Cuba hopes the new U.S. administration will value the breakthroughs in bilateral relations made since 2014 after more than 50 years of animosity.

While the U.S.-led trade embargo against Cuba remains in place, the White House has relaxed some restrictions, mainly in travel between the two countries.

Thousands have taken advantage of the thaw. In the first half of the year, 136,913 U.S. travelers came to Cuba, almost 80 percent more than the same period the year before, according to Cuba's national bureau of statistics.

Earlier this month, regular commercial flights between Cuba's capital and several U.S. cities were re-launched. Air connections between U.S. cities and Cuban destinations, mainly tourism resorts such as Varadero and Cienfuegos, were reestablished in September.

Tourism industry experts say that once Washington allows U.S. citizens to freely travel to Cuba, some 2 million Americans initially can visit the Caribbean nation annually, with the number expected to grow to 5 million in a few years.

While the future of bilateral ties remains uncertain, the progress made so far is proof that political will can dramatically change the course of history. Endi