CHARTING A NEW COURSE ON CUBA
Dion Publishing Proudly presents the following article.
Charting a New Course on Cuba
BY Gerard Dion
Contributing information from the following resources
the White House President Barack Obama archives
Changing Course in Cuba: The Progress We’ve Made Since 2014
On December 17, 2014, President Obama announced that he was rejecting the failed, Cold War-era policy era of the past to chart a new course in Cuba. Check out the progress we’ve made in normalizing relations with a country just 90 miles off our coast.
Timeline of Diplomatic Engagement
Dec 17, 2014
President Obama and President Castro simultaneously announced a new course in relations between the United States and Cuba.
May 29, 2015
The Secretary of State rescinded Cuba¹s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism List, another step forward toward a more normal and productive relationship between the United States and Cuba.
Mar 31, 2015
The United States and Cuba held in Washington D.C. the first planning session for a Human Rights Dialogue at which both governments raised issues to pursue.
Jul 20, 2015
The Embassy of the United States of America re-opened in Havana and the Cuban Embassy re-opened in Washington, D.C. U.S. diplomats now have greater freedom of movement in Cuba, including the ability to travel across the island and engage the Cuban people broadly. Cuban citizens also have greater access to our Embassy. The opening of the U.S. Embassy substantially improved our ability to engage the Cuban people and support U.S. interests in Cuba.
Aug 14, 2015
Secretary of State Kerry visited Cuba for the U.S. Embassy’s flag raising ceremony, noting in his remarks that having normal relations makes it easier for us to talk, and talk can deepen understanding even when we know full well we will not see eye to eye on everything. Secretary Kerry was the first U.S. Secretary of State to visit Cuba in 70 years.
Sep 11, 2015:
The United States and Cuba established the Bilateral Commission, the primary vehicle for advancing normalization.
Oct 7-8, 2015
The United States and Cuba held the inaugural regulatory dialogue to discuss more effective implementation of U.S. regulatory policies toward Cuba.
Nov 9, 2015
The United States and Cuba held the first bilateral Law Enforcement Dialogue. The discussion focused on a wide range of areas of cooperation in law enforcement, including counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics, transnational crime, cyber-crime, secure travel and trade, and fugitives.
Nov 18, 2015
The U.S. and Cuban governments signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a cooperative relationship dedicated to the science, stewardship, and management of our countries existing marine protected areas.
Nov 24, 2015
The U.S. and Cuban governments signed a joint statement pledging cooperation between our two countries on a range of environmental issues such as protection of our marine and coastal areas, disaster risk reduction, and oil spill prevention and response.
Nov 30, 2015
The U.S. and Cuban governments held the regularly scheduled Migration Talks to discuss continuing implementation of the U.S.-Cuba Migration Accords, which provide for the safe, orderly, and legal migration of Cubans to the United States.
Dec 1,2015
The United States and Cuba held our second Counternarcotic Dialogue. Under this dialogue, the two governments seek to increase counternarcotic cooperation and information exchange.
Dec 8, 2015
The U.S. and Cuban governments held the first Dialogue on Claims, a first step in a complex process. The U.S. government is committed to resolving U.S. claims against the Cuban government.
Dec 10, 2015
The U.S. and Cuban governments finalized the details of a pilot program for the direct transportation of mail to begin implementation in the near future.
Dec 17, 2015
President Obama marked the one-year anniversary of his new course in relations with Cuba. He noted that we are advancing our shared interests and working together on complex issues that for too long defined and divided us. Meanwhile, the United States is in a stronger position to engage the people and governments of our hemisphere.
Jan 11, 2016
Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Susan Coppedge met with Cuban government officials and others to discuss the country’s efforts to address trafficking in persons.
Feb 16,2016
A bilateral arrangement to restore scheduled air services between the United States and Cuba was signed by Transportation Secretary Foxx and Department of State Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs Charles Rivkin; scheduled service is expected to commence later this year.
Feb 17-18, 2016
The U.S. and Cuban governments held the second Regulatory Dialogue to discuss more effective implementation of U.S. regulatory policies toward Cuba.
Mar 16, 2016
First direct mail flights between the United States and Cuba for the first time in 50 years. The flight to Cuba carried a letter to a 76-year-old letter writer in Cuba.
