U.S. State Department Proposes 'Removal of Cuba from Terrorism Sponsors List'

Reports from sources in the U.S. Senate indicate that the State Department has suggested removing Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. This proposal is the latest development in the political relations between Washington and Havana, which began with the restoration of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba. Reuters reported on April 9, citing an unnamed U.S. Senate aide, stating that 'the State Department has proposed that they (Cuba) be removed from the list.' According to this report, Cuba's removal from the terrorism sponsors list would eliminate a significant barrier to the reopening of embassies for both countries after 54 years. President Barack Obama stated on Thursday that the State Department had completed its review regarding Cuba's removal from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, but he had not yet received his advisors' recommendations. The U.S. State Department had begun its review process in recent days to provide its advisory opinion on this matter. Reports also indicate that the foreign ministers of the two countries have met on the sidelines of the ongoing Summit of the Americas in Panama. The U.S. State Department's Twitter account published a photo of the two foreign ministers shaking hands. According to Reuters, the discussions between John Kerry and Bruno Rodriguez were set to take place behind closed doors at a hotel in Panama City, the capital of Panama. The Summit of the Americas is held every three years, and this is the seventh meeting of heads of state. Cuba is participating for the first time at the invitation of Panama. The meetings on April 9 and 10 are notably influenced by the presence of the U.S. and Cuban presidents, who are meeting face-to-face for the first time since the Cold War.