Opening embassies, finally

Time has an article by Julie Pace from The Associated Press about relations with Cuba:

President Barack Obama will announce Wednesday that the US and Cuba have finalized an agreement to reopen embassies in each other’s capitals, a major step in ending hostilities between the Cold War foes, a senior administration official said.
The US and Cuba have been negotiating the reestablishment of embassies, following the historic December announcement that they would move to restore ties after a half-century of animosity.
For Obama, ending the US freeze with Cuba is central to his foreign policy legacy, as he nears the end of his presidency. Obama has long touted the value of direct engagement with global foes and has argued that the US embargo on the communist island just ninety miles south of Florida was ineffective.
Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry are expected to speak Wednesday morning about the embassy openings. The official insisted on anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter ahead of the president.
Since the late 1970s, the United States and Cuba have operated diplomatic missions called interests sections in each other’s capitals. The missions are technically under the protection of Switzerland, and do not enjoy the same status as full embassies.
While the opening of embassies marks a major milestone in the thaw between the US and Cuba, significant issues remain as the countries look to normalize relations. Among them: talks on human rights; demands for compensation for confiscated American properties in Havana, and damages to Cuba from the embargo; and possible cooperation on law enforcement, including the touchy topic of US fugitives sheltering in Havana.
Obama also wants Congress to repeal the economic embargo on Cuba, though he faces resistance from Republicans and some Democrats. Those opposed to normalizing relations with Cuba say Obama is prematurely rewarding a regime that engages in serious human rights abuses.
Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican from Florida, said in a statement that opening an embassy in Cuba “will do nothing to help the Cuban people, and is just another trivial attempt for President Obama to go legacy shopping.”
Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the opening of embassies was part of the administration’s “common sense approach to Cuba”. However, he called for Cuba to recognize that it is out of step with the international community on human rights. “Arrests and detentions of dissidents must cease and genuine political pluralism is long overdue,” Cardin said in a statement.
Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro met in April during a regional summit (photo), marking the first time American and Cuban leaders have met in person since 1958.

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