Kazakhstan welcomes warming in US-Cuban relations

Kazakhstan encourages steps towards the revival of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the USA, Tengrinews reports citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The statement of the Kazakh authorities came after President Obama officially announced an improvement in the US-Cuban relations and Cuban President Raul Castro asked to end the embargo.

Obama called the end of animosity between the two nations the biggest step in American politics of the last 50 years.

“These 50 years have shown, isolation has not worked. It's time for a new approach,” Obama said.

In turn, Castro urged the countries to learn “to live together in a civilized way, with our differences”.

“This decision by President Obama deserves the respect and recognition of our people,” the Cuban President said.

Cuba freed Alan Gross, an American, after five years of captivity and promised to release 53 political prisoners named by the United States. Meanwhile, the U.S. aims to re-establish the American embassy in Havana and expand rules for travel, commerce, and other relations between the United States and Cuba. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan expressed hope that the relations between the countries would continue to develop in the spirit of good neighbourliness and cooperation.

“Both Cuba and the USA are Kazakhstan’s long-time partners. We have been developing partnership with these countries ever since the first days of our independence. Kazakhstan welcomes the steps towards the revival of the diplomatic relations and establishment of connections between the Cuban and the US nations,” the Kazakhstani Ministry said.

Writing by Gyuzel Kamalova, editing by Tatyana Kuzmina