Cuba-USA hold migratory talks
HAVANA, Cuba, Dec 11 (ACN) The governments of Cuba and the United States held a round of migratory talks this December 11 in Washington DC.
Cuban News Agency now reproduces the statement issued by the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs on this meeting:
On December 11, 2017, a new round of migratory conversations was held in Washington between delegations from Cuba and the United States, chaired, respectively, by the General Director of the United States of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Josefina Vidal Ferreiro, and by the Assistant Secretary Assistant to the Western Hemisphere of the Department of State, John Creamer.
The Cuban side expressed its deepest concern about the negative consequences that unilateral, unfounded and politically motivated decisions have on immigration relations between both countries, which were adopted by the Government of the United States in September and October of 2017.
The Cuban delegation warned again about the negative impact of the suspension of the granting of visas in the United States Consulate in Havana, which, by paralyzing the procedures of Cuban citizens to visit or emigrate to that country, severely hinders relations family and exchanges of all kinds between both peoples.
It also reiterated its rejection of the arbitrary expulsion of a significant group of officials from the Cuban Embassy in Washington, which has significantly affected the functioning of the diplomatic mission, in particular the Consulate and the services it provides to Cubans residing in the United States, as well as attention to American citizens who are interested in traveling to our country.
It also drew attention to the counterproductive effect it is having for cooperation in the area of migration, the decision to cancel the trips of official delegations from the United States to Cuba, which has led to the postponement of exchanges of mutual interest previously scheduled, that, if maintained, could deepen the effects on trade in this and other areas.
With regard to the progress of the current migratory agreements, the representatives of Cuba urged the Government of the United States to fulfill its obligation to issue no less than 20,000 travel documents annually to Cuban citizens to emigrate to that country. Likewise, it once again expressed its concern over the validity of the Cuban Adjustment Act, which continues to be a stimulus to irregular emigration and whose repeal will be essential to achieve normal migratory relations between the two countries.
Both delegations agreed to recognize the positive impact of the Joint Declaration signed on January 12, 2017 and, specifically, the elimination of the “dry feet-wet feet” policy and the “Parole Program for Cuban Medical Professionals” in the decrease of irregular emigration from Cuba to the United States. They also agreed on the usefulness of the exchange between Cuba´s Coast Guard Troops and the Coastguard Service held in July and the technical meeting on human trafficking and immigration fraud carried out in September, which will continue on December 12, 2017.
The delegation of Cuba reaffirmed its willingness to continue the rounds of conversations on migration matters.
