HAVANA (Reuters) – Cuba said yesterday it was not willing to rush talks with the United States over multibillion-dollar claims and counter-claims and would agree only to an accord that addressed the grievances of both sides.
Washington is seeking upward of $10 billion, mainly for properties nationalized in Communist-run Cuba after its 1959 revolution. Havana, meanwhile, wants at least $300 billion for economic damage wrought by the US trade embargo and for the harm caused by acts of what it describes as US aggression.
Settling the claims is key to normalizing relations between the former Cold War foes. The two sides held their second round of talks on the matter last week, after a first round last December.
A State Department official told reporters the United States wanted to resolve the issue as quickly as possible and the two sides had agreed to hold more regular meetings.
