US, Cuba reach agreement to open embassies, a major step in restoring diplomatic ties

By Julie Pace, The Associated Press

WASHINGTON – The United States and Cuba have agreed to open embassies in each other’s capitals, the biggest tangible step in the countries’ historic bid to restore ties after more than a half-century of hostilities.

President Barack Obama is expected to announce the agreement Wednesday at the White House. The U.S. Embassy in Havana is scheduled to open later this month.

The U.S. and Cuba have been negotiating the re-establishment of embassies following a surprise December announcement that the longtime foes were restarting diplomatic relations.

For Obama, ending the U.S. freeze with Cuba is central to his foreign policy legacy. He has long touted the value of direct engagement with global foes and has argued that the U.S. embargo on the communist island just 90 miles south of Florida has been ineffective.

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