Staff Writer
President
Obama met with Cuban President Raul Castro at the Summit of the Americas in
Panama for a one-on-one discussion this past Saturday, ending a
half-century-long standstill in diplomacy between the United States and Cuba.
It was the first meeting between the leaders of the two nations in over 50
years, and the meeting is a crucial step toward more open negotiation between
the countries. The last time the
countries had an engagement this substantive was when President Richard Nixon
met with Cuban President Fidel Castro in 1959.
Obama
announced that the United States would restore full diplomacy with Cuba last
December, and he is currently attempting to reopen embassies in Washington and
Havana. During the meeting, the two men
appeared to respect one another, and the atmosphere in the conference room was
positive. “I admire him, and I think his
behavior has a lot to do with his humble background,” said Castro. According to Obama, the meeting was “candid
and fruitful”.
Obama
will also travel to Charlotte this Wednesday to discuss the economy. He is scheduled to talk with a group of
working women about how the budget affects families.
