Cuba hails US decision to remove it from a list of state sponsors of terrorism

Havana, April 15: Cuba has welcomed US President Barack Obama's decision to drop it from a list of state sponsors of terrorism.

The decision was announced on Tuesday by the US president. He said that the government of Cuba had "not provided any support for international terrorism" over the past six months.

The decision has widely been welcomed by Cubans.

President Obama on Tuesday submitted to Congress a "report and certifications" saying that the US wants to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. This decision is being seen as an important step to normalise relations between the two nations.

The decision was announced by US amid a normalisation of ties between both the countries. Cuba was listed as state sponsors of terrorism list alongside Syria, Iran and Sudan. This was was a sticking point for Cuba during talks to reopen embassies, BBC reported.

A US trade embargo against Cuba still continues and can only be ended by Congress.

President Obama met Cuban President Raul Castro at the Summit of the Americas in Panama last week, four months after he announced a historic thaw in ties with the communist island nation.

Meeting between President Obama and Raul Castro was the first formal meeting between the leaders of their countries in a half-century.

The last high-level meeting between US and Cuba took place in 1959, when Fidel Castro met then Vice-President Richard Nixon. Diplomatic relations were badly hit between both the countries in 1961.

A high level meeting was held between US Secretary of State John Kerry and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez on last Thursday.

OneIndia News