President Castro’s letter to President Obama

By Progreso Weekly Last updated Jul 1, 2015

Text of letter from President Castro to President Obama, as published in Granma and translated by Progreso Weekly.

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Havana, 1 July 2015

His Excellency Mr. Barack H. Obama

President of the United States of America

Mr. President:

Consistent with the announcements of 17 December 2014 and the high-level conversations between our governments, I am pleased to address you to confirm that the Republic of Cuba has decided to re-establish diplomatic relations with the United States of America and open permanent diplomatic missions in our respective countries on 20 July 2015.

The Cuban part assumes this decision encouraged by the reciprocal intention to develop respectful relations of cooperation between our peoples and governments.

Likewise, Cuba is inspired by the principles and purposes consecrated in the United Nations Charter and International Law, to wit, sovereign equality, the resolution of controversies by peaceful means, abstaining from recurring to threats or the use of force against the territorial integrity of the political independence of any State, non-intervention in the affairs that are the internal jurisdiction of the States, the development of relations of friendship between nations, based on respect for the principles of equality of rights and the free determination of the peoples, and cooperation in the solution of international problems and in the development and encouragement of respect for human rights and the fundamental freedoms of all.

The previous statement is in accord with the spirit and the norms established in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 18 April 1961 and in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 24 April 1963, of which both the Republic of Cuba and the United States of America are parties, and they will rule the diplomatic and consular relations between the Republic of Cuba and the United States of America.

I take advantage of this opportunity to express to you, Mr. President, the testimony of our consideration.

Raúl Castro Ruz