• Submitted by: Juana
• Havana
• United States
• Politics and Government
• 07 / 01 / 2015

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Army General Raul Castro confirmed today in a letter to US President Barack Obama that he took the decision to restore diplomatic relations with Washington, Cuban television reported.
The Cuban President wrote in his letter, delivered to the State Department in Washington, "that the Republic of Cuba has decided to establish diplomatic relations with the United States and open permanent diplomatic missions in our respective countries on July 20, 2015", said Cuban television.
Earlier, the head of the Interests Section of United States in Cuba, Jeffrey DeLaurentis, had delivered in Havana a letter from Obama to Raul Castro proposing to reopen embassies "from July 20," according to the Cuban Foreign Ministry. 
Cuban authorities said they have decided to restore diplomatic relations with US  "in full exercise of their sovereignty, invariably committed to the ideals of independence and social justice, and solidarity with the just causes of the world".
"The first stage of what will be a long and complex process towards normalization of bilateral ties" concludes, according to the executive of the island, with the restoration of diplomatic ties and opening of embassies.

source: www.cibercuba.com