March 13 (UPI) -- Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed Friday that his government is holding talks with representatives of the United States to address longstanding differences between the two countries.
Speaking at the headquarters of the Central Committee of Cuba's Communist Party before members of the Council of Ministers, Díaz-Canel said the discussions "have been aimed at seeking solutions through dialogue." He added that Havana wants to "move away from confrontation."
"There are international factors that have facilitated these exchanges," Díaz-Canel said during the meeting, which was broadcast on the Cuban Presidency's YouTube channel.
The president described the talks as part of a "very sensitive process, conducted with seriousness and responsibility," because they affect bilateral ties between the two nations that have been strained for decades after the 1959 Cuban Revolution and since the U.S. trade embargo imposed in the early 1960s.
Díaz-Canel stressed the need to determine whether both sides are willing to take joint action. He said the discussions have included identifying areas of cooperation to address common threats and ensure security and peace in both countries and across Latin America and the Caribbean.
