22 Bilateral Documents Signed From 17 December 2014 To 20 January 2017

During the 766-day period 17 December 2014 through 20 January 2017, the United States and government of the Republic of Cuba executed twenty-two (22) bilateral documents.  There are four (4) binding documents and one (1) treaty requiring ratification.

The categories of the documents include agreement, arrangement, memorandum of understanding, pilot plan, joint statement, and treaty.

Federal Air Marshals Arrangement (7/7/16)
Pilot Plan for Direct Transportation of Mail (3/11/16)
Civil Aviation Arrangement (2/16/16)
Health MOU (6/13/16)
Cancer Research MOU (10/20/16)
Agriculture MOU (5/5/16)
Environmental Protection Joint Statement (11/24/15)
Marine Protected Areas MOU (11/18/15)
Hydrography MOU (3/18/16)
Counternarcotics (CN) (7/21/16)
DHS-MININT (5/5/16)
INTERPOL (10/15)
Wildlife Conservation and Terrestrial Protected Areas (12/21/16)
Meteorology (12/21/16)
Seismology (12/20/16)
Oil Spill Preparedness and Response Agreement (1/1/2017)
Law Enforcement MOU (1/16/17)
Migration Joint Statement (12/1/17)
Search and Rescue (1/18/17)
Maritime Boundaries (1/18/17)
Sister Parks (1/1817)
USDA/APHIS (1/18/17)

While the number, the varied subject matter, and the depth of documents executed by the Obama Administration and government of the Republic of Cuba during the last two years is significant, important to acknowledge that not all are binding; and the one treaty needs to be ratified by the United States Senate.

Thus, the commercial, economic and political bilateral relationship between the United States and Republic of Cuba remains tentative, fragile, and immensely subject to the impact of winds from the north and winds from the south.

A goal for the Trump Administration is to use its time in Washington to create with the government of the Republic of Cuba a bilateral relationship that doesn't depend upon unlimited quantities of glue to keep it together.