美国古巴就互设使馆达成协议 US,Cuba Reach Deal to Open Embassies in Washington and Havana

PlayBar

一名美国高层官员说,美国和古巴已经同意在时隔50多年后在彼此的首都重设大使馆。

白宫说,奥巴马总统计划星期三在玫瑰园发表一项有关古巴问题的声明,此外克里国务卿将在维也纳发表相关讲话。目前克里在维也纳参加与伊朗的核谈判。

古巴外交部说,设在哈瓦那的美国利益办事处负责人戴洛伦提斯星期三将转达奥巴马总统有关重开使馆事宜的信件。

奥巴马和古巴主席劳尔·卡斯特罗去年12月宣布,美古两国经过数月秘密会谈后,将恢复在冷战期间中断的外交关系。

此后,美古两国代表团在华盛顿和哈瓦那举行了几次会谈,拟定重开使馆的细节。今年4月,奥巴马和卡斯特罗在巴拿马举行的一次地区峰会期间进行了具有历史意义的面对面会晤。随后,美国将古巴从支持恐怖主义国家名单中去除。

奥巴马对古巴的态度在国会遭到强烈反对,很多议员指责奥巴马无视古巴恶劣的人权纪录。

共和党控制的国会可能拒绝为美国在古巴建立新大使馆拨款,并可能阻挠奥巴马提出的驻古巴大使人选获得批准。此外,美国国会不大可能同意奥巴马总统取消对古巴的贸易禁运。

A senior U.S. official says the United States and Cuba have agreed to reopen embassies in each other's capitals for the first time in more than 50 years.

The White House says President Barack Obama plans to make a statement on Cuba Wednesday from the Rose Garden, while Secretary of State John Kerry will speak in Vienna, where he is taking part in nuclear talks with Iran.

Cuba's foreign ministry says the chief of the U.S. interests section in Havana, Jeffrey DeLaurentis, will deliver a note Wednesday from Mr. Obama on reopening embassies.

Mr. Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced last December the two countries were ready to restore normal diplomatic relations that were severed at the height of the Cold War, after a several months of secret talks.

Since then, delegations from both sides have held several meetings in each other's capitals to iron out the details of reopening their embassies. Mr. Obama and Mr. Castro held a historic face-to-face meeting back in April on the sidelines of a regional summit in Panama, followed by Cuba's removal from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Mr. Obama's efforts to end the Cold War-era antagonism faces strong opposition in Congress, with many lawmakers accusing the president of ignoring Cuba's poor record on human rights.

The Republican-controlled legislature could deny funding for a new embassy in Cuba, and block Mr. Obama's choice of a new ambassador. It is also unlikely to agree to his request to lift the U.S. economic embargo on Cuba.