Jul 20, 2015
WASHINGTON, DC -- This morning USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward attended the ceremony officially opening the Cuban embassy here. Hundreds of people gathered to watch as Cuban Ambassador Jose Ramon Cabañas and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla presided over the flag-raising ceremony at the building that has served as a Cuban "interests section," where officials process visas and conduct basic consular services.
"This is truly exciting for those of us who have been working on this issue for a very long time," said Ward. "The establishment of official ties between Cuba and the U.S. is an important step forward. The U.S. rice industry is ready to pen this market but there is still a lot of uncertainty about when normal trade relations will occur."
The U.S. embassy in Havana will officially open in mid-August.