Republican senator sees U.S. embassy in Havana coming soon

By Associated Press On Jun 15, 2015

HAVANA (AP) – The opening of a U.S. embassy in Cuba for the first time in 54 years is “imminent,” a U.S. senator said Saturday as he and two other Republicans finished a short visit to Cuba.

Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona was in Havana with fellow senators Susan Collins of Maine and Pat Roberts of Kansas on a fact-finding mission and to gauge progress on talks to restore normal diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez converses with Flake and fellow republican senators Susan Collins and Pat Roberts. On Sunday, Flake twitted the following message: "Cuban and American flags stand together in the Foreign Ministry in Havana. Times they are a-changing' -- for the better." His comment quotes Bob Dylan's famous 1964 song "The Times They Are a-Changin'." — Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez converses with Flake and fellow republican senators Susan Collins and Pat Roberts. On Sunday, Flake twitted the following message: “Cuban and American flags stand together in the Foreign Ministry in Havana. Times they are a-changing’ — for the better.” His comment quotes Bob Dylan’s famous 1964 song “The Times They Are a-Changin’.”

After meeting with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and North American Affairs Director Josefina Vidal, Flake predicted the opening of both a Cuban embassy in Washington and a U.S. embassy in Havana will occur in the very near future.

“Nothing has been set, but it’s imminent,” he said.

Flake and his delegation also met with Cuban First Vice President Miguel Diaz Canel, who is widely seen as President Raul Castro’s successor when the Cuban president retires in 2018.

“We talked about U.S.-Cuba relations, a continuation of meetings we have had before and will continue to have. We are very excited about the prospect of full diplomatic relations, which are very close,” Flake told The Associated Press shortly before returning to Washington.

(From Yahoo News)

[Photo above of Jeff Flake welcomed by Cuban First Vice President Miguel Diaz Canel.]