Former U.S. President Calls for Normalizing Ties With Cuba

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, May 15, 2002

Former U.S. President Calls for Normalizing Ties With Cuba

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Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, on a landmark visit to Cuba, urged the U.S. administration Tuesday to lift its ban against Cuba and take the first steps toward normalizing relations between the two countries.

Now is the time to improve bilateral relations and to change the style of thinking and talking on both sides, Carter said in his speech, "U.S. and Cuba: Toward the 21st Century" at Havana University, which was broadcast live by Cuban radio and television.

As the strongest nation in the world, the U.S. should take the first step to normalize U.S.-Cuban ties, he stressed, expressing the hope that the U.S. Congress would remove laws restricting travel to Cuba as soon as possible, and the two nations could normalize trade.

Carter, who arrived here Sunday at the invitation of Cuban leader Fidel Castro for a six-day visit, also called for an end tothe economic, financial and trade blockade imposed by the White House 40 years ago.

Regretting that the two countries have failed to set up a positive and mutually beneficial relationship in the past, Carter said he hoped the two neighboring countries could live in peace inthe new century and share more common pleasures than baseball and music.

He also hoped the two peoples could find a bridge to reconciliation and become mutually respected friends.

On unresolved historical issues, Carter proposed establishing acommittee, including outstanding figures from both nations, to handle them in positive and constructive ways.

Meanwhile, he expressed his hope that Havana would give the green light to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies,' inspection access to Cuban prisons, and for U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights' visits to the Latin American state. This, in his opinion, would help change some misunderstandings about Cuba.

Castro, Ricardo Alarcon, president of the National Assembly of Cuban People's Power, Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque, and members of the U.S. delegation accompanying Carter, and representatives from the Havana University attended Tuesday's ceremony.

Carter, the former U.S. president who made more progress than any other in easing tensions with Cuba, is the first former or sitting U.S. head of state to come to the island, since the success of the Cuban Revolution in 1959.

His landmark six-day visit to the Caribbean island nation started on Monday. When the U.S. delegation arrived, Castro went to Havana's international airport to provide the highest-level reception for his U.S. guest and his entourage.

Castro offered Carter "complete access" to any Cuban biotechnology labs and contact with any person, including religious figures.

Carter's visit comes one week after U.S. Undersecretary of State John Bolton said that Cuba is seeking to develop biological weapons. After Carter visited a major laboratory Monday, the Center of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology on the outskirts of Havana, he assured U.S. Citizens that Cuba is not involved in bio-terrorism and it "has an impressive and wonderful compromise with scientific development."

Castro said Carter, who monitored the re-establishment of diplomatic exchanges between the two countries and made it possible, for a short time, for Americans to travel to Cuba freelyduring his presidency in 1977-1981, had proved his sincerity in the past.

Carter, an opponent of the U.S. blockade policy towards Cuba, has emphasized that he came not to change the Cuban government or its policy, but to explore common points that both countries are interested in and seek improvement of bilateral relations.

Ties however have remained cool. A 43-year U.S. trade embargo is still in effect and visits to the island by Americans are limited.

Analysts here say that Carter's visit could be of great significance in promoting bilateral exchanges and visits by Americans to Cuba, though it is hard to detect substantial improvements in political relationships in the short term.

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