The President of Cuba, Raul Castro, has said that Cuba and the US should respect their differences and both sides should work on improving relations, but called on the US to drop their demands for a regime change.
He said that the fact that officials from both countries had met over the last year to discuss issues such as immigration and the resumption of postal services, showed that relations can be civilised.
"If we really want to make progress in bilateral relations, we have to learn to respect each other's differences and get used to living peacefully with them. Otherwise, no. We are ready for another 55 years like the last,
"The reform process in Cuba cannot be rushed or it will lead to failure,
"We do not ask the United States to change its political and social system, nor do we agree to negotiate over ours," Castro said in parliament.