U.S., Cuba to swap envoys

Press, 2 June 1977, Page 6

U.S., Cuba to swap envoys

NZPA-Reuter Washington

The United States expects to announce an exchange of diplomats with Cuba in the next few days ending a 16year break in communications between the two countries, United States officials have said in Washington. Officials from both countries concluded talks in New York on Monday on establishing “interest sections” in neutral embassies in Washington and Havana. Some details remained to be worked out, but an announcement was expected this week or next, the officials said.

Although the new move falls well short of re-estab-lishing full diplomatic relations between the two countries, it does end the complete severance of ties after the seizure of power by Dr Fidel Castro 16 years ago. The personal intervention of President Carter and President Castro appeared to have given some impetus to the new moves. Mr Carter said on Tuesday that he had sent Dr Castro best wishes

for the successful conclusion of the secret negotiations and that the Cuban leader had responded in the same manner. Mr Carter said that he was ready to improve relations with Cuba as quickly as Dr Castro wanted.

Officials in Washington said that the talks began at the week-end after the Cubans had signalled their approval. The envisaged exchange will involve middle-ranking United States envoys working from the Swiss Embassy in Havana, which has maintained United States interests in Cuba during the long break in relations. Cuban envoys will work from the Czechoslovak Embassy in Washington which has performed a similar function. Although an important step on the path to normalisation of relations, officials see the exchange primarily as providing a means for debating issues that stand in the way of full ties between the two countries. For Cuba, there are the trade embargo, which the United States imposed in [October, 1960, and the related question of Cuban (sugar exports to the United States. I The Americans want to, discuss reparations for[ American property! nationalised after the [ Cuban revolution, Cuba’s j

military involvement in Angola and other African countries, the situation of Americans imprisoned in Cuba on political or other grounds, and human rights in Cuba.