Havana

The United States and Cuba quietly ushered in a new era of post-Cold War relations on July 20, formally restoring diplomatic ties severed more than five decades ago and re-establishing embassies in each other's capitals.

The United States and Cuba abolish one of the last vestiges of the Cold War on July 20 when, in a move unimaginable just a few months ago, they restore diplomatic ties frozen for half a century.

For the first time since 1961, the Cuban red, white and blue flag will fly over Havana's newly upgraded embassy in Washington, just a stone's throw from the White House.    

The United States and Cuba have reached a deal to reopen embassies in Washington and Havana, in a major step toward ending decades of Cold War enmity.
 
President Barack Obama is expected to issue a statement at 11:00 am (1500 GMT) Wednesday in the White House Rose Garden about the deal, which constitutes one of the major foreign policy achievements of his presidency.
 

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic has departed for an official visit to the Republic of Cuba.

He is set to confer in Havana with the country's top officials, it was stated on Monday.

The United States and Cuba will hold another meeting in the coming weeks in Washington on reopening embassies, the latest step in their historic rapprochement, Havana's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said May 13.

Francois Hollande arrived in Havana May 10, the first French president to visit Cuba in more than a century, cementing Paris's lead in the EU rapprochement with the communist island.

Nikolic meets with Raul Castro in Moscow

Serbia "cannot renounce its old friendships with Cuba and Russia," Tomislav Nikolic said on Friday as he met with Raul Castro in Moscow.

In conversation with his Cuban counterpart, the Serbian president said that the two nations share similar freedom-loving feelings and commitment to peace.

By Ilias Bellos

Greek-owned United Caribbean Lines Florida has secured one of the first few licenses for the operation of coastal shipping services between the US and Cuba from the US Department of the Treasury, after about half a century without a service.

Cuban officials and ordinary citizens alike hailed the island's removal from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, saying the move by President Barack Obama heals a decades-old insult to national pride and clears the way to swiftly restore diplomatic relations.

The popular online home-rental service Airbnb is allowing American travelers to book lodging in Cuba starting Thursday in the most significant U.S. business expansion on the island since the declaration of detente between the two countries late last year.