Washington Perspectives

United States and Cuba Formally Restore Diplomatic Ties

July 20, 2015

Scott M. Flicker, Hamilton Loeb, Charles Patrizia, Behnam Dayanim & Christine Ingram

The United States and Cuba formally restored diplomatic ties today, as both countries reopened embassies in each other’s capitals. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla was present to raise his country’s flag outside of Cuba’s embassy in Washington, D.C.  Secretary of State John Kerry will preside over a similar ceremony on August 14 in Havana.   The event at the embassy came just hours after Cuba’s flag was placed in the main lobby of the State Department, along other countries with whom the U.S. maintains diplomatic ties.