Official Cuban Delegation is in D.C. for Human Rights Talks

Havana, Cuba, Mar 30.- The official Cuban delegation to participate in the US-Cuba talks on Human Rights arrived in Washington D.C. on Sunday, the island´s Foreign Ministry announced on its webpage.The Cuban delegation is headed by Pedro Luis Pedroso, general vice-director for Multilateral Affairs and International Law at the Cuban Foreign Ministry.

In a news conference last week in Havana, Pedroso said that the Cuban side expects to attend a constructive dialog without conditioning on the reciprocal respect for sovereign equality and non interference in the domestic affairs of each country.

It is in this context that Cuba will address its achievements in terms of human rights, as it was exposed during the latest Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Council.

We have goals to reach, like other nations, but we will present the recognition by the international community of the important achievements of Cuba in the areas of education, health, access to cultural rights and the Cuban contribution to the development of many countries of the world, where our cooperation has been present, said Pedroso.

The Cuban delegation will also address concerns on the situation of human rights in the United States and other countries, where Washington has influence.

The human rights talks, to take place March 31st, come after a proposal made y Cuba in July 2014, reiterated in January 2015 and accepted by US authorities.

The talks prove the willingness of Cuba to address, with the United States, any issue on equal grounds and reciprocity, despite the deep differences with the government of the United States.

These meetings are part of the process of negotiations between Havana and Washington following the political decision to reestablish diplomatic relations announced on December 17, 2014 by presidents Raul Castro and Barack Obama.(can)