Hollande Calls for End to US Embargo on Cuba During Visit to Havana

France hopes that the decades-long embargo on Cuba, which has harmed the country’s development, will be lifted soon, French President Francois Hollande said Monday during his trip to Havana.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Hollande, the first French president to visit Cuba in more than a decade, arrived in Havana on Saturday to promote European interests in the country.

"Cuba wants to move on to a new phase, a new period, a new time for this island that was victim of an embargo," Hollande said as quoted by France 24 TV channel.

During his visit, Hollande stated that full embargo lifting will allow Cuban businesses and trade to develop.

The United States imposed an embargo on Cuba in 1961 during the Cold War because of antagonism between Washington and the communist government in Havana.

In December 2014, US President Barack Obama announced a new policy to improve bilateral relations with Cuba, including easing travel and trade restrictions as well as reopening a US embassy in Havana. Washington is yet to commit to fully lifting the trade embargo.