US President Donald Trump on March 5 unexpectedly hinted at the possibility that Washington and Havana could soon reach a new agreement, saying that the Cuban government "is very keen to reach an agreement".
Speaking at the White House at a congratulatory event for the US Major League Soccer (MLS) champion team Inter Miami CF, Mr. Trump said his administration is considering shifting its focus to the Cuba issue in the near future.
They want to reach an unbelievable agreement. You can't imagine it" - Mr. Trump said when referring to the Cuban government.
Mentioning one of Inter Miami's co-owners who is Cuban, President Trump said: "He will go back there. It will be a great day, right?
Not providing details, President Trump added: "We will celebrate it privately. I just want to wait a few more weeks. I want him to wait a few more weeks. But I guess we will soon be together again, celebrating together what is happening in Cuba".
In his speech, Mr. Trump also mentioned US Secretary of State Marco Rubio - who has a tough stance on the Havana government.
According to the US President, Mr. Rubio wants to focus on the Cuba issue in the coming period but is still cautious because the conflict related to Iran has not ended.
His next thing will be Cuba. We want to do it in a special way. But he said: Let's finish this first" - President Trump shared.
The White House owner believes that processing too many foreign affairs files at the same time could lead to unpredictable consequences.
We can do everything at the same time, but that's not always good. Historically, when countries did too many things at the same time, bad things often happened," the US leader said.
Mr. Trump's statement is seen as a rare signal showing the possibility that Washington and Havana can resume dialogue in the context that relations between the two countries have been tense for many years.
For decades, the US has maintained economic sanctions and trade embargoes against Cuba, while the two sides have also frequently disagreed on political and human rights issues.
However, President Trump's mention of the possibility of "celebrating developments in Cuba" has led observers to believe that Washington may be considering a new diplomatic step with the Caribbean island nation.
However, the White House has not announced any specific plans regarding the content of the agreement or the start of negotiations.
Currently, the US administration is still focusing on the tense developments in the Middle East, especially the conflict involving Iran - a factor believed to be causing Washington to temporarily postpone all major steps in the Cuba dossier.
