German media: Cuban president confirms for the first time negotiations with the United States to "resolve differences"

Since President Trump took military action against Venezuela and Iran, and cut off energy supplies to Cuba, there have been many speculations about Washington's next move against Havana. Now, the Cuban president has confirmed that the country recently held talks with the United States. At the same time, the Cuban foreign minister also made calls to China and Russia.

Cuban President Diaz-Canel said on Friday, March 13, that his government had recently held talks with the United States. This is the first time the country has confirmed these rumors.

Diaz-Canel stated in his speech that the talks "aimed to find solutions to the differences between both sides through dialogue," and that "international factors have driven this exchange."

Diaz-Canel said the purpose of the talks was "to identify the bilateral issues that need to be resolved according to their severity and impact," and to seek solutions.

The president said the goal was "to determine the willingness of both sides to take concrete measures to benefit the people of both countries, and to identify areas of cooperation to address threats, ensuring the security and peace of both countries and the region."

He said Cuba is willing to proceed on the basis of equality and respect for each other's political systems, respecting Cuba's "sovereignty and right to self-determination."

Trump: Cuba faces a "friendly takeover," or not

After the United States attacked Venezuela and arrested its president Maduro, President Trump cut off Venezuela's crucial oil transport to Cuba and threatened to impose tariffs on any country selling oil to Cuba.

In recent weeks, Trump has made a series of statements saying that Cuba is on the verge of collapse and may be eager to reach an agreement with the United States. On Monday, March 9, Trump said Cuba might face a "friendly takeover," and then added, "or it might not be a friendly takeover." Trump said Secretary Rubio is handling the matter.

Cuba's power outages and energy shortages

Cuba is currently facing power outages and energy shortages. President Diaz-Canel said that no oil tankers have arrived in the country for the past three months. He blamed the US energy blockade.

Last week, there were serious power outages in western Cuba, affecting millions of people.

Diaz-Canel said that Cuba's own oil production accounts for 40% of its demand. Although it generates its own electricity, it cannot meet the demand. The Cuban leader said that the power outages affect telecommunications, education, and transportation, and also that thousands of people have had to delay surgeries. He said, "The impact is huge."

Diaz-Canel said that more than 115 bakeries in the country now use wood or coal to bake bread. He also added that 955 photovoltaic battery panels have been installed in rural homes and social welfare centers, and the number of photovoltaic systems will increase by the end of March, increasing Cuba's extremely scarce electricity by 100 megawatts. But even so, "all of this combined, we still need oil."

Diaz-Canel said that oil production has also declined. "Without energy, no country can produce normally. This also means that employment must be adjusted."

Last month, Cuba implemented fuel-saving measures. The recent power outages were caused by damage to a boiler at a thermal power plant, causing the entire power system in Cuba to fail. Authorities pointed out that some thermal power plants have been operating for over thirty years and are rarely maintained due to cost issues. Cuban officials said that US sanctions have also hindered the Cuban government from purchasing new equipment and specific parts.

Cuba speaks with Russian Foreign Minister

On Thursday, the Cuban Foreign Minister Rodriguez spoke with the Russian Foreign Minister.

A statement on the Russian Foreign Ministry website said that Foreign Minister Lavrov "confirmed Russia's principled position that the economic and political pressure imposed by the United States on Cuba is unacceptable."

The Russian statement said that during the call initiated by Cuba, Russia expressed "support for the brotherly Cuban people in defending their national sovereignty and choosing their own path of development."

Last month, Rodriguez visited Moscow and met with Russian President Putin and Lavrov. Putin called the restrictions imposed on Cuba "unacceptable."

Source: DW

Original: toutiao.com/article/1859571646996480/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author himself.