Pope Francis Congratulates Developments in US-Cuba Relations
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iStock Editorial/Thinkstock(ROME) — Pope Francis congratulated the United States and Cuba on Thursday for agreeing to establish diplomatic ties after more than half a century of frozen relations.
The historic thaw in relations between the two countries came about after a year of secret talks in Canada that directly involved the pope.
The Vatican says Pope Francis wrote letters to Cuban President Raúl Castro and President Obama to urge them to resolve humanitarian questions of common interest. Those included the situation of certain prisoners.
The Vatican said it received American and Cuban delegations to the Vatican in October, providing space for the two sides to negotiate diplomatic solutions to the decades-long stand off.
The Vatican added that it will continue to provide support for both countries as they move toward strengthening their ties.
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