US, Cuba set for historic talks to normalise ties

The two nations aim at paving the way to reopen embassies and normalise ties

The United States and Cuba will hold their highest level talks in decades on Wednesday, ditching decades of Cold War-era hostility to pave the way to reopen embassies and normalise ties.

Senior US and Cuban officials will meet over two days in Havana to discuss immigration issues and a roadmap to return ambassadors to each other's nation, more than half a century after full diplomatic relations broke off in 1961.

The talks in the Cuban capital come five weeks after US President Barack Obama and Cuban counterpart Raul Castro simultaneously made the momentous announcement that their countries would seek to normalise ties.

Roberta Jacobson, the US assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, will head the American delegation while the Cubans will be represented by the foreign ministry's director for US affairs, Josefina Vidal.

As the two nations get closer, one person has been noticeably quiet and absent: The 88-year-old retired leader Fidel Castro has not reacted publicly to the rapprochement, sparking speculation about his health.

The first day of the talks will center on migration -- an issue that has vexed both nations for decades, with Cubans hopping on rickety boats to traverse 145 kilometers (90 miles) of shark-infested waters to reach Florida.

Then on Thursday, the two sides will discuss the process to reestablish diplomatic relations and bring back their embassies.

"I think that Jacobson's visit is, without a doubt, historic and it will bring changes, but it's important to be aware that you can't expect sudden miracles," said Peter Schechter, Latin America analyst at the Atlantic Council, a US think tank.

Cubans have voiced hope that the warming ties will translate into improvements in their daily lives in a country where supermarket shelves are bare and people make around $20 a month.

In the United States, most Americans approved Obama's move, with a survey released Friday showing that two-thirds favor lifting the embargo.

But some lawmakers on both sides of the partisan divide have criticised Obama's decision, with Republican Senator Marco Rubio, a Cuban-American, saying the White House had "conceded everything and gained little" from the Castro regime.

The Obama administration already took a major step on Friday when it used executive powers to loosen some travel and trade restrictions.