Cuba's top diplomat for US affairs said Tuesday she cannot imagine the next president of the United States undoing the historic rapprochement the two countries embarked on under Barack Obama.
"I can't imagine a new president, whoever it is, deciding to break off relations with Cuba and close the (US) embassy," said Josefina Vidal, the Cuban foreign ministry's top official for US affairs, in an interview published by Cuban state news agency ACN.
She admitted however that the November 8 elections in the United States introduce an element of uncertainty to the thaw between the communist island and its long-time Cold War foe.
"There are other issues where they could backtrack, such as cooperation in different areas," she said.
The crowded field of Republican presidential candidates has been nearly unanimous in its hostility toward Obama's decision to restore ties with Cuba after more than five decades, while the Democratic candidates back the move.
Vidal said the rapprochement was not yet "irreversible," and warned that the next US president could revoke some of Obama's executive orders to ease restrictions on Cuba or simply "devoid them of meaning via inaction."
She urged Washington to move faster on lowering economic and trade barriers -- a reference to the crippling embargo in place since 1962, which Obama has failed to persuade the Republican-controlled Congress to lift.
As he approaches the end of his term, Obama has indicated he is keen to visit Cuba, but insists such a visit would hinge on the communist regime curbing crack-downs on political dissent.
Cuba’s top diplomat for US affairs said Tuesday she cannot imagine the next president of the United States undoing the historic rapprochement the two countries embarked on under Barack Obama.
“I can’t imagine a new president, whoever it is, deciding to break off relations with Cuba and close the (US) embassy,” said Josefina Vidal, the Cuban foreign ministry’s top official for US affairs, in an interview published by Cuban state news agency ACN.
She admitted however that the November 8 elections in the United States introduce an element of uncertainty to the thaw between the communist island and its long-time Cold War foe.
“There are other issues where they could backtrack, such as cooperation in different areas,” she said.
The crowded field of Republican presidential candidates has been nearly unanimous in its hostility toward Obama’s decision to restore ties with Cuba after more than five decades, while the Democratic candidates back the move.
Vidal said the rapprochement was not yet “irreversible,” and warned that the next US president could revoke some of Obama’s executive orders to ease restrictions on Cuba or simply “devoid them of meaning via inaction.”
She urged Washington to move faster on lowering economic and trade barriers — a reference to the crippling embargo in place since 1962, which Obama has failed to persuade the Republican-controlled Congress to lift.
As he approaches the end of his term, Obama has indicated he is keen to visit Cuba, but insists such a visit would hinge on the communist regime curbing crack-downs on political dissent.
