US, Cuba not to reopen embassies before regional summit

The US and Cuba are not expected to re-open embassies before a regional summit slated for April 10-11, an official said.

"I would not anticipate that we will be formalising the opening of embassies in advance of the summit," an aide to US President Barack Obama, Ben Rhodes said on Tuesday, referring to the Summit of the Americas to be held in Panama, Xinhua reported on Wednesday

"When you have two countries that haven't really spoken to each other in over 50 years, you have a lot of issues to work through as you aim to open embassies," Rhodes said.

In the most sweeping change in the US-Cuba relations in over five decades, Obama announced in December last year his plans to normalise ties with Cuba.

The US severed its diplomatic ties with Cuba in 1961 and imposed an embargo on the island country since then.

Washington and Havana have held three rounds of talks over restoring diplomatic ties and re-opening embassies.

In late February, US Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Roberta Jacobson expressed optimism that the two sides could re-open embassies before the Summit of the Americas.