US & Cuba Hold Inaugural Economic Dialogue... Different Perspectives
/From The United States:
United States and Cuba Hold Inaugural Economic Dialogue in Washington, D.C.
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
September 12, 2016
The United States and Cuba held the inaugural Economic Dialogue in Washington, D.C., today. Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs Charles Rivkin led the opening of the dialogue. U.S. Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs John Creamer, Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs Ziad Haider, and U.S. Department of Commerce Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Industry and Security Matthew Borman co-chaired the U.S. delegation. Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment Vice Minister of Commercial Policy Ileana Nunez Mordoche led the Cuban delegation.
The Economic Dialogue’s goal is to discuss long-term bilateral engagement on a wide range of topics as part of the ongoing normalization process between our two countries. The delegations discussed trade and investment, labor and employment, renewable energy and energy efficiency, small business, intellectual property rights, economic policy, regulatory and banking matters, and telecommunications and internet access.
Both parties agreed to continue the dialogue and, under its auspices, convene working groups to continue technical discussions in the coming months.
From The Republic Of Cuba:
Cuba and the United States hold the first economic bilateral dialogue
HAVANA, September 12, 2016. Representatives from Cuba and the United States held on September 12, in Washington, the first meeting of the Bilateral Economic Dialogue, a mechanism established under the Cuba-US Bilateral Commission to address economic, commercial and financial issues of mutual interest, including those issues that may emerge in a post-blockade scenario.
The Cuban delegation was led by Deputy Minister for Foreign Trade and Investment, Ileana Núñez Mordoche, and the US delegation was presided over by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, John Creamer. The Cuban delegation included high-ranking officials of the Ministry for Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, the Cuban Central Bank and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From the US side attended the meeting representatives of the Department of Commerce, the Treasury Department, the State Department, the Departments of Agriculture, Transportation and Energy, among others, and the Office of the United States Trade Representative.
As a result of this first meeting and to follow up on specific issues of mutual interest, different working groups were established. Said groups will meet periodically in alternate venues.
The Cuban delegation reaffirmed that lifting the blockade is essential in order to make progress in economic, commercial and financial relations and toward the normalization of bilateral ties, as it affects the development of our economy and causes damages and privations to the Cuban people. (Cubaminrex)
