Cuba is eager to continue negotiations with the United States and is open to changes to its economy and government. Cuba says it is willing to discuss everything with the United States and that no topics are off limits when reciprocity and equality guide conversations. Cuba also claims the United States is not participating in talks in good faith. The Cuban ambassador links this concern to statements that suggest taking over Cuba and to warmongering rhetoric. The ambassador says such rhetoric undermines dialogue and trust and helps create pretexts for military aggression. The interview was presented as an effort to show the American public that Cuba seeks peace and cooperation despite increasing U.S. pressure.
"Cuba is eager to continue negotiations with the United States and is open to changes to its economy and government, but it does not believe the United States is participating in talks in good faith, Cuba's ambassador to the United Nations told The New York Times. Cuba is willing to talk about everything with the United States. There is no taboo subject in our conversations on the basis of reciprocity and equality, Ernesto Soberon Guzman, the Cuban ambassador, said in an interview on Wednesday."
"But, he added, obviously it does not help a climate of dialogue and trust that every other day there are statements like, We are ready to take over Cuba,' referring to recent comments by President Trump. Warmongering rhetoric does not help, he said. Building different pretexts for military aggression against Cuba, which is what they are building, does not help."
"The hourlong conversation was the first time in years that a sitting Cuban government official had granted an on-the-record interview to The Times. Mr. Soberon Guzman said the government had decided to do so in an effort to tell the American public that Cuba wants peace and cooperation with the United States, despite the Trump administration's intensifying pressure campaign against the island."
#us-cuba-negotiations #diplomacy #economic-and-political-reform #military-aggression-rhetoric #un-relations
Read at www.nytimes.com
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