U.S. President Barack Obama (C) attends the opening cermony of the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, April 17, 2009. (Xinhua/David de la Paz) Photo Gallery>>>
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, April 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama said Friday he was willing to open talks with Cuba in an effort to end the long-standing hostility between the nations.
"The United States seeks a new beginning with Cuba. I know there is a longer journey that must be traveled in overcoming decades of mistrust, but there are critical steps we can take toward a new day," Obama said during opening ceremonies of the Summit of the Americas.
He said the White House was prepared to engage Cuba on a wide range of issues, including human rights, democratic reforms and economics, in a bid to move U.S.-Cuban relations in a new direction.
Obama apparently was responding to an "overture" from Cuban President Raul Castro, who said Thursday that despite being under a 47-year-long U.S. embargo, Cuba was open for talks on any topic.
Castro said Cuba has sent word to Washington privately and in public that it is willing to discuss any issue, including freedom of the press and political prisoners.
"We're willing to sit down to talk as it should be done, whenever," the Cuban leader said.
Castro's words also prompted a positive response from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
U.S. President Barack Obama addresses the opening ceremony of the Fifth Summit of Americas in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, April 17, 2009.(Xinhua/David de la Paz) Photo Gallery>>>
During a visit to the Dominican Republic on Friday before leaving for the summit, Clinton said current policy toward Cuba has failed and the U.S. welcomes Cuba's overture.
The Cuba issue was not officially on the summit agenda but it appeared to have become the dominant topic at the meeting, where hemispheric leaders came to discuss such issues as the economic crisis and the environment.
Leaders who spoke at the opening ceremony, including Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and Patrick Manning, the prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, urged the U.S. to lift its embargo against Cuba.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Thursday expressed disappointment that Cuba was excluded from the summit. Chavez spoke while he presided at a meeting of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas that Castro attended.
Meanwhile, Jose Miguel Insulza, the head of the Organization of American States, said Friday he will push for the readmission of Cuba to the OAS when its members meet in May.
Cuba was excluded from the OAS in 1962 and has been absent from the Summit of the Americas since its first meeting in 1994. The U.S. is one of the few members that reject its return to the OAS.
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, April 17 (Xinhua) -- In his debut at the Summit of the Americas on Friday, U.S. President Barack Obama outlined what will be his administration's policy toward the Western Hemisphere.
The Cuba issue was not on the official agenda of the April 17-19 Americas summit that brings together Obama and 33 other leaders, but the president, who is making his first visit to Latin America, is under mounting pressure from participating nations to improve relations with the island nation. Full story
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, Apr. 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama said here Friday that he seeks "a new beginning" in relationship with Cuba and pledged to launch new chapter with the Latin America as a whole.
"The United States seeks a new beginning with Cuba. I know there is a longer journey that must be traveled in overcoming decades of mistrust, but there are critical steps we can take toward a new day," Obama said in his remarks at the opening ceremony of the Fifth Summit of the Americas. Full story
Photo taken on April 17, 2009 shows the opening ceremony of the Fifth Summit of the Americas held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. (Xinhua/David de la Paz) Photo Gallery>>>
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The Fifth Summit of the Americas opened here Friday, with economy, energy, the environment, security and Cuba high on the agenda of the three-day event.
The theme of the summit, which gathered leaders from 34 countries in the hemisphere, is "Securing Our Citizens' Future by Promoting Human Prosperity, Energy Security and Environmental Sustainability." Full story
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, Apr. 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to say that he envisions to seek "a new beginning" in relationship with Cuba here Friday.
"I am not interested in talking for the sake of talking. But I do believe that we can move U.S.-Cuban relations in a new direction," Obama will say, according to his prepared remarks to be delivered at the opening ceremony of the Fifth Summit of the Americas. Full story
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, April 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. and Cuban leaders exchanged good-will gestures as hemispheric leaders gathered on Friday for the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago.
During Thursday's visit to Mexico, U.S. President Barack Obama said that his recent decision to remove travel and money-sending restrictions on Cuba were intended to "recast our relationship," and that it was now up to Cuba to take the next move. Full story
MEXICO CITY, April 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama's ongoing visit to Mexico and his upcoming attendance at the Summit of the Americas represent an important step in U.S. efforts to open a new chapter in relations with Latin America.
Signs of rapprochement between top officials of the two sides, a modest thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations and a fresh U.S. approach to the anti-drug campaign all show that Obama appears determined to seek a new, more collaborative U.S.-Latin American relationship. Full story
PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, April 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama and his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez exchanged greetings with smile outside the venue of the Fifth Summit of the Americas, in Port of Spain, minutes before the opening ceremony of the summit on Friday evening, showed TV footages. Full story
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, April 17 (Xinhua) -- As U.S. President Barack Obama is attending the opening ceremony of the Summit of the Americas, the White House said Friday that it's "struck" by the comments made by Cuban president Raul Castro on U.S.-Cuba relations.
Raul Castro, brother of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, said Thursday that "everything" would be up for discussion with the Obama administration and the Cuban government may have been "wrong" in avoiding U.S.-Cuba talks in the past. Full story
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Leaders from across the western hemisphere are arriving in Port of Spain, capital of Trinidad and Tobago, for the Fifth Summit of the Americas slated for Friday evening.
U.S. President Barack Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Frias were among the leaders who flew in the tiny oil-rich nation in the afternoon. Full story
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, April 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama will meet with 33 heads of state or government of the West Hemisphere at the Fifth Summit of the Americas for the first time here later Friday.
Although more details are still to be worked out for the president's policy for the region, he has been developing a Latin America agenda since running for president last year. Full story
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of 34 countries in the western hemisphere gather here later Friday to kick off the Fifth Summit of the Americas.
Trinidad and Tobago, the first Caribbean country to host a summit of the Americas, has pooled national efforts to pull off the party, constructing the state's two tallest buildings and sprucing up the airport for the event. Full story
PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, April 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday arrived in Port of Spain, capital of Trinidad and Tobago, for the fifth Summit of Americas scheduled from Friday to Sunday.
Obama will address a speech on Thursday evening at the opening ceremony of the summit, the first time for him, since his taking office in January, to show the policy change toward the Latin America from that of his predecessor George W. Bush. Full story
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