- Title: United States and Cuba ink more deals as Trump era set to begin
- Date: 18th January 2017
- Summary: HAVANA, CUBA (JANUARY 18, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** HEAD OF BUSINESS AT THE U.S. EMBASSY IN CUBA, JEFFREY DELAURENTIS, AND CUBAN TRANSPORT VICE-MINISTER, MARTA ORAMAS, SITTING TO SIGN AGREEMENT VARIOUS OF DELAURENTIS SIGNING AGREEMENT DELAURENTIS AND ORAMAS EXCHANGING DOCUMENTS AND SHAKING HANDS (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF BUSINESS AT THE U.S. EMBASSY IN CUBA, JEFFREY DELAURENTIS, SAYING: "This bilateral agreement recognises the importance of air and maritime search and rescue cooperation by both nations. Improved search and rescue coordination is vital for the U.S. and Cuba, particularly as authorised trade and travel increase between our two countries." DELAURENTIS AND ORAMAS SIGNING AGREEMENT DELAURENTIS FINGERS SIGNING ORAMAS AT PODIUM AHEAD OF SPEECH (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CUBAN TRANSPORT VICE-MINISTER, MARTA ORAMAS, SAYING: "With the current rise and perspective for bilateral aerial and maritime transport in our region, this agreement has special relevance, and signing it constitutes a positive step in the process of improving the relations between the two countries." VARIOUS OF DELEGATIONS SHAKING HANDS
- Embargoed: 1st February 2017 15:38
- Keywords: United States Cuba deals Donald Trump
- Location: HAVANA, CUBA
- City: HAVANA, CUBA
- Country: Cuba
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0015ZM03LV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:The Obama administration and Cuba continue to sign cooperation agreements as they scramble to wrap up negotiations with President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration festivities already underway.
An agreement to cooperate on air and maritime search and rescue missions in the Florida Straights was signed on Wednesday (January 18) in Havana, by Head of Business at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba, Jeffrey DeLaurentis, and Cuban Transport Vice-Minister, Marta Oramas.
"This bilateral agreement recognises the importance of air and maritime search and rescue cooperation by both nations. Improving search and rescue coordination is vital for the U.S and Cuba, particularly as authorised trade and travel increase between our two countries," said DeLaurentis.
Travel to the Caribbean island from the United States has increased, with the start of direct flights and cruises, which Oramas highlighted as an important step forward in the countries' relations.
"With the current rise and perspective for bilateral aerial and maritime transport in our region, this agreement has special relevance, and signing it constitutes a positive step in the process of improving the relations between the two countries," said Oramas.
Trump has struck a hostile and aggressive tone on the historic detente between the two countries and threatened to end it if Cuba does not make further concessions.
That has led both countries to wrap up five negotiations since the November election, including one on fighting international crime, another preventing and containing oil spills and last week still another that ended the special permission for Cubans entering the country without visas to remain. None of the deals are binding, however, as none have been written as treaties.
The Trump transition includes five Cuban-Americans who are vocal opponents of the detente and have close ties to Cuban-American lawmakers who are calling for a return to pre-Obama efforts to isolate Cuba.
A number of other Trump appointees have expressed opposition to the Obama administration's two-year effort to normalize relations.
Obama has also used executive orders to punch holes in the embargo, which can be lifted only by the U.S. Congress, now controlled by Republicans.
The orders can be scrapped by Trump. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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