Obama to Meet Castro at Summit of Americas

US President Barack Obama is expected to meet with Raul Castro, the president of Cuba, during a two-day summit starting Friday in Panama in light of Washington's intent to restore diplomatic and economic ties with the island.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Both leaders are set to attend the Summit of the Americas taking place in Panama City, Panama April 10-11.

Obama's meeting with Castro will come as the United States attempts to normalize relations with Cuba after more than 50 years of antagonism between the two countries.

In December 2014, the US leader announced that Washington would normalize relations with Cuba, easing travel and trade restrictions. Other steps to improve bilateral relations include the reopening of a US embassy in the Cuban capital and the possibility that Cuba would be removed from the US State Department's State Sponsors of Terrorism list.

According to the Wednesday poll by Telemundo, MSNBC and the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, 59 percent of Americans and 56 percent of Latinos polled welcome diplomatic recognition of Cuba by the United States.

The US president arrived in Panama Thursday, after a visit to Jamaica. On Friday, Obama is expected to meet with Panama's President Juan Carlos Varela prior to the summit, opening that evening.

The central theme of the seventh Summit of the Americas is "Prosperity with Equity: The Challenge of Cooperation in the Americas."

The summit takes place every three years, offering opportunities for countries to determine jointly a regional agenda addressing urgent issues at the highest diplomatic level.

This year participants will discuss many issues including education, health, energy, environment, migration, security and democratic governance.