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Washington: US President Donald Trump suggested a possible change in Washington’s policy toward Cuba, saying the island nation was “coming our way”.
Trump remarked while speaking at the dedication of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota, on Wednesday (local time). His comments came during a broader discussion of Theodore Roosevelt’s foreign policy legacy and US influence in the Western Hemisphere.
“Speaking of Cuba, after many, many decades, it’s coming our way, coming our way,” Trump said.
The President did not explain what he meant or announce any new policy towards Cuba.
Trump commented, praising Theodore Roosevelt’s role in expanding US influence overseas, including the construction of the Panama Canal and the outcome of the Spanish-American War.
He noted that following the conflict, Spain “relinquish(ed) their grip on Cuba and Guam, the Philippines and Puerto Rico,” before adding his brief reference to Cuba.
The remarks came as Trump ranged across a wide array of domestic and foreign policy issues during a speech marking the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. He also discussed the Panama Canal, Iran, immigration, the economy and the approaching 250th anniversary of the United States.
Trump has long advocated a tougher US approach towards Cuba and, during his first administration, reversed several Obama-era measures aimed at normalising relations between Washington and Havana.
His administration tightened economic sanctions, restricted travel and expanded limits on financial transactions with the communist-run island.
The United States and Cuba have had strained relations since the 1959 Cuban Revolution, although diplomatic ties were restored in 2015 after more than five decades.
Relations have fluctuated under successive US administrations, with sanctions, migration and regional security remaining central issues in the bilateral relationship.
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–IANS
