US, Cuban presidents speak by phone

The presidents of the United States and Cuba have spoken by phone for only the second time in more than half a century, amid the Obama administration’s efforts to restore ties with Havana, reports say.

According to The Associated Press, the landmark telephone conversation was held between President Barack Obama and his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro on Thursday, shortly after the two leaders arrived in Panama City for the Summit of the Americas.

However, according to Agence France-Presse, which quoted an unknown White House official, Obama spoke with Castro on Wednesday, before leaving to attend the Summit of the Americas, which begins on Friday.

"I can confirm that President Obama spoke with President Castro on Wednesday, before President Obama departed Washington," the White House official said on condition of anonymity.

The last known conversation between Obama and Castro took place in December last year, shortly before the they announced the thaw in bilateral relations.

In another major development on Thursday, the US and Cuba held their highest-level diplomatic talks since cutting off relations over five decades ago.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez held closed-door talks after arriving in Panama for the Summit of the Americas.

According to a US State Department official, the two made progress in the historic meeting.

"Secretary Kerry and Cuban Foreign Minister Rodriguez had a lengthy and very constructive discussion this evening. The two agreed they made progress and that we would continue to work to resolve outstanding issues," the State Department official said in a statement.

The United States broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1961 and placed an official embargo against the country in 1962.

The two countries became ideological foes soon after the 1959 revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power and their ties remained hostile even after the end of the Cold War.

On December 17, 2014, Obama announced that the US would start talks with Cuba to normalize diplomatic relations, marking the most significant shift in American foreign policy towards the communist country in over 50 years.

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