US and Cuba reopen embassies

In Havana and Washington on July 20, for the first time in more than fifty years, the US and Cuba embassies reopen.

Relations between the two countries were frozen at the start of the 1960s, when the United States broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba and imposed an embargo on trade with that country.

Since 1977, diplomatic missions have been operating in both countries, called missions of the interests of the United States and Cuba. These organizations operated under the auspices of Switzerland, but did not have the status of an embassy.

At the end of 2014, the United States and Cuba began to undertake diplomatic efforts to normalize relations between the two countries.

In April, the presidents of the two countries, Barack Obama and Raul Castro, met for talks for the first time in many years.

Shortly after this meeting, Barack Obama decided to exclude Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. At the same time, plans were announced to resume the ferry and air service between the countries.

According to BBC correspondent Katie Watson, this is an extremely important symbolic step. He reestablishes diplomatic relations that were interrupted in the 1961 year (two years after the Cuban revolution).

On Monday, Washington will host a meeting of US Secretary of State John Kerry with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez, who is considered another sign of the warming of bilateral relations.

However, apart from the opening of embassies, in practice, so far little will change. As Cuban President Raul Castro said, there is a long and difficult road ahead for the normalization of relations.

According to the representative of the US Department of State, John Kirby, there are questions on which the parties do not find agreement.

Despite the great interest in the rapprochement of the two countries and the fact that potential American investors are already going to Havana to understand what opportunities are opening up here, there are still restrictions on the travel of Americans to Cuba.

Also, it is still forbidden to conduct business in Cuba for most US companies. The Cuban authorities say that this embargo has a detrimental effect on the country's economy, and as long as it remains in force, relations between the two countries will not be easy.

However, in order to lift the embargo, it is necessary to vote on this issue in the US Congress.