Raul Castro ready to talk to US, but rules out negotiations on Cuba's socialism

Washington, Aug 2 (ANI): Cuban President Raul Castro has said that he is ready to talk about everything and anything with the United States, but added that the country's political system was not on the negotiating table.

Castro's remarks came during a speech to the closing session of the Cuban Parliament on Saturday afternoon.

He specified that discussion meant talking about issues in the US as well as in Cuba, CBS News reported.

After affirming that there have been no cases of torture in Cuba since rebel forces led by his older brother Fidel Castro drove Fulgencio Batista from power in 1959, he corrected himself to note that there had been torture in the US Guantanamo naval base.

He said the international demand for the closing of the prison in Guantanamo should be heeded, but that Washington should not stop there.

Raul Castro also said that Guantanamo should be returned "unconditionally" to Cuba.

Castro also said that those who are reportedly waiting for the "biological solution" to the Cuba issue - the death of its aging leadership - were mistaken to think it would provoke changes in the country's socialist system.

Instead, the younger generations were as committed as the revolution's historic leaders to maintaining their socio-political system, he claimed. (ANI)