Cuba has engaged in limited communications with the United States, a senior Cuban diplomat told Reuters, but those contacts have not reached the level of an official dialogue. Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, Cuba's deputy foreign minister, said Havana has signaled its willingness to negotiate, while stressing that what has occurred so far amounts to exchanges rather than structured talks.
Speaking in an interview at the Foreign Ministry building in Havana, de Cossio said the U.S. government was aware that Cuba was "ready to have a serious, meaningful and responsible dialogue." He added: "We have had exchange of messages, we have embassies, we have had communications, but we can not say we have had a table of dialogue."
The diplomat's remarks provide the first acknowledgment from Cuban officials that some level of contact has taken place, even if it is limited in scope. The comments come after a period of elevated tensions earlier this month, when relations between the two countries deteriorated following the U.S. capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, who has been a long-time ally of Cuba.
U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly stated that talks with senior Cuban officials had begun. On Sunday, Trump said the United States had started discussions with "the highest people in Cuba," and he also declared Cuba "an unusual and extraordinary threat" to U.S. national security. In addition, Trump threatened to impose tariffs on any country that supplies oil to the communist-run island.
Reflecting the uncertain state of bilateral contacts, Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida: "I think were going to make a deal with Cuba." Havana had previously denied that any talks were underway with Washington.
At this stage, the exchanges described by de Cossio appear to be limited to diplomatic messages and embassy-level communications rather than a formal negotiation process or a scheduled meeting framework. The Cuban official framed the country's position as open to serious talks, while also distinguishing current communications from an established dialogue table.
Reporting note: The Cuban deputy foreign minister spoke at the Foreign Ministry building in Havana and characterized the contacts between Havana and Washington as exchanges rather than formal negotiations.