Raul Castro

The United States and Cuba abolish one of the last vestiges of the Cold War on July 20 when, in a move unimaginable just a few months ago, they restore diplomatic ties frozen for half a century.

For the first time since 1961, the Cuban red, white and blue flag will fly over Havana's newly upgraded embassy in Washington, just a stone's throw from the White House.    

Cuban President Raul Castro asked his US counterpart Barack Obama on July 15 to use his executive powers to "dismantle" the economic embargo placed on his island nation.

The United States and Cuba have reached a deal to reopen embassies in Washington and Havana, in a major step toward ending decades of Cold War enmity.
 
President Barack Obama is expected to issue a statement at 11:00 am (1500 GMT) Wednesday in the White House Rose Garden about the deal, which constitutes one of the major foreign policy achievements of his presidency.
 

The US and Cuba are to announce on Wednesday a move to reopen diplomatic missions in each other's capitals for the first time in over 50 years, international media outlets report.

This is a major step in the renewal of diplomatic ties which was initiated by US President Barack Obama also confirmed by Cuban couterpart Raul Castro in December 2014.

The United States and Venezuela, which have had highly strained relations for more than a decade, held a "positive" diplomatic meeting over the weekend in Haiti, the State Department said June 15.

If you are among those who are depressed with whatever is going around you and if you wonder how you will overcome all of it, do not feel too down. Things that you never expect come true in this life. Recently, an official at the European Commission told me an anecdote. When the relations between the United States and Cuba started to thaw, the EU sent a delegation to Cuba.

The United States dropped Cuba from its blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism on May 29, removing yet another hurdle as the two countries seek to restore diplomatic ties frozen for five decades.
  

The United States and Cuba will hold another meeting in the coming weeks in Washington on reopening embassies, the latest step in their historic rapprochement, Havana's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said May 13.

Serbian president decorates Fidel Castro

BELGRADE -- President Tomislav Nikolic has decorated Cuba's leader Fidel Castro with the Order of the Republic of Serbia on a sash, according to the Official Gazette.

French President Francois Hollande called May 11 for an end to the US embargo on Cuba, as he met with Fidel Castro during the first visit by a Western leader since Washington and Havana moved to restore ties.