WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — In June, US President Donald Trump announced his administration would roll back his predecessor Barack Obama's efforts to re-establish relations with Cuba. Trump said there would be new business and travel restrictions imposed on Havana and Washington will retain the existing embargo.
"I supported the efforts strongly of the [Obama] administration to restore diplomatic relations, and I don’t want to take any steps backward," Kaine said. "The pace of the steps forward depends on the bilateral relationship, and certainly, we want to see more progress on fundamental human rights issues in Cuba. As far as I am concerned no steps backward, [but] steps forward, depending on progress on the human rights front."
Last week, Cuban President Raul Castro criticized the new US policy, which excludes the possibility of continuing a bilateral dialogue or the implementation of the previously signed agreements between the two countries, but noted that Cuba nevertheless wishes to engage in dialogue with the United States.
On July 20, 2015 the United States and Cuba reestablished full diplomatic relations by reopening embassies in their respective capitals after 54 years of hostility.
The warming of relations came as a result of Obama’s decision in December 2014 to pursue a path toward normalizing relations with Cuba.
