US confirms human rights meeting with Cuba

The US confirmed on Friday that there will be a "preliminary" meeting on human rights with Cuba next Tuesday (March 31) here, which will serve to discuss "the methodology and structure of future conversations" on the subject.

The US delegation will be led by Tom Malinowski, the undersecretary of state for democracy, human rights and labour, a State Department spokesperson said in a communique sent to Spanish news agency Efe.

Pedro Luis Pedroso, deputy director of multilateral affairs and international law at Cuba's foreign ministry, said on Thursday in Havana that Cuba had proposed holding the first human rights meeting with the US on March 31 in Washington.

"This preliminary meeting reflects our continued emphasis on human rights and democratic principles in Cuba," the spokesperson said.

At the meeting in Washington, Cuba will present, according to Pedroso, "its achievements in the promotion and protection of all human rights", not only on the island, but also in other countries that benefit from Cuban cooperation, particularly in the fields of universal access to free, high quality healthcare, education and cultural services.

Presidents of the United States and Cuba, Barack Obama, and Raul Castro respectively, announced last December a historic accord aimed at putting an end to decades of enmity that sought, as a first step, the reopening of embassies in Washington and Havana.

Up to now, the negotiating teams of both countries have had three official meetings, the last on March 16 in Havana, to discuss the reopening of their respective embassies as soon as possible, though the US would like that to happen before the Summit of the Americas on April 10-11 in Panama.