The three U.S. senators, members of the Democratic Party, pointed out that they were optimistic about the future of relations between the two countries. (Photo: granma.cu)
US Senators Claire McCaskill, of Missouri; Amy Klobuchar, of Minnesota; and Mark Warner, of Virginia, highlighted at a press conference in Havana on Tuesday, February 17, the potential of commercial relations between Cuba and the United States.
The three U.S. senators, members of the Democratic Party, pointed out that they were optimistic about the future of relations between the two countries, while adding they were impressed by the opportunities offered by the Special Development Zone of Mariel (ZEDM), after a visit to that port, according to a report by the Cuban News Agency (ACN).
McCaskill pointed out that they are the first members of the U.S. Congress to tour the ZEDM and said she was surprised to see what is happening in the area.
“I come from a state where we grow beans, corn and rice; we have cows, pigs; I can see ships anchored in Mariel and containers with food produced in Missouri, but to make this a reality we have to move forward with this complicated process of relations between the two nations, stated the senator.
Amy Klobuchar, who on February 12 introduced in the Senate a bipartisan bill that proposes to end the restrictions of the blockade related to trade, travel and maritime transportation, among other aspects. She added that there is great interest in the United States on possible commercial relations with Cuba.
Klobuchar, a member of the Tourism Committee of the U.S. Congress, said that on the island there are numerous prospects for the development of this industry.
“We know we still have a long way to go, but I’m very glad I made this trip and met with Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, and I thank the Cuban government and people for the warmth received,” said the senator for Minnesota, who asserted that she never thought that December 17, 2014 would be “a day I would remember all my life.”
While answering questions by the press, Klobuchar considered that after the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States it will be possible to make more progress in the project presented last week and improve trade in areas like agriculture.
The Cuban News Agency continued to report that Senator Mark Warner, who was governor of Virginia, stated that with regard to commercial relations there will be benefits for the two nations if the two parties continue to work together even when there are differences.
Virginia was one of the first states that in 2002 began to sell agricultural products to Cuba and since then this has been carried out with severe limitations, which have included paying cash in advance. I this regard, Warner pointed out he hopes “restrictions to trade can be overcome in the new context.”
“We must leave differences behind and realize that this is a new day and that both parties must move forward,” said Warner, while claiming to be optimistic about talks between the two countries.
Before the end of the press conference, Senator Amy Klobuchar said she returns home with the objectives of the trip fulfilled: “the main reason was to come and hold exchanges with the Cuban people, something we could do, walk the streets, return and tell our colleagues what we’ve seen, that there’s an entrepreneurial spirit here, that the people want better relations with the U.S.”
This is the first group of senators visiting the Caribbean island after the announcements made by presidents Raúl Castro and Barack Obama on December 17.
“We return with a lot of information collected to give our colleagues because there are people in Congress who have a single view of Cuba and it’s only what they hear on the Hill,” Klobuchar stated.
The Senators, who arrived in Cuba on Saturday, had a tight program, which included a meeting on Monday afternoon with Bruno Rodríguez, Minister of Foreign Affairs, with whom they discussed the process of reestablishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the lifting of the blockade imposed of Cuba.
A new round of talks between Cuba and the United States on the reestablishment of diplomatic relations will take place in Washington D.C. on Friday, February 27. The Cuban delegation to these talks will be headed by Josefina Vidal, general director of the United States office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ACN also reported on Tuesday.
