In A Rarity... Cuba Deputy Foreign Minister Meets With U.S. Assistant Secretary Of State. Precursor To New U.S. Policy Announcement(s)? Rumors Swirl...
/United States Department of State
Washington DC
14 September 2023
Press Briefing With Mathew Miller, Spokesperson
“QUESTION: Yeah, yeah. Very, very different region. I was wondering whether you have any reaction or comment or how you view the fact that Cuba is heading a Group of 77 summit as of tomorrow for two days in La Habana with leaders such as Lula expected, and 30 of such leaders. What is your view on that? And in that context, of course, could you give us an update or readout of the meetings, apparently, that the deputy Cuban foreign minister [Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio] had with people in this house and any readout —
MR MILLER: People in his house or —
QUESTION: Well, no, in the – at the Department of State.
MR MILLER: You mean people in the State Department, in the State Department. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
QUESTION: And where – or where in fact, if it was actually here or not? I think he also met somebody at the White House.
MR MILLER: Assistant Secretary [of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs] [Brian] Nichols, yeah.
QUESTION: But any readout you can have on that.
MR MILLER: So I don’t have any comment on the first question you asked. I will say with respect to the meeting that involved the State Department that you asked about, on Monday, Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols met with the Cuban vice foreign minister. At this meeting, Assistant Secretary Nichols and the vice foreign minister discussed human rights, migration, and other issues of bilateral interest, and it follows a number of meetings. We do routinely meet with officials from the Cuban embassy here in Washington.
QUESTION: But not at that level.
MR MILLER: Not at that level, no. I mean, not always someone here, but we do regularly have discussions about those issues.
QUESTION: Yeah, yeah. And any progress whatsoever on whether or not Cuba should be lifted from the list of state sponsored of – states that sponsor terrorism?
MR MILLER: We have not made any determination that I can report today.”
NOTE: Media reporting that Juan Gonzalez, Senior Director- Western Hemisphere Affairs for the National Security Council (NSC) at The White House, also participated in the meeting with Mr. Nichols.
