The United States and Cuba have held a second round of talks as part of the effort to restore full diplomatic ties for the first time in more than half a century. After meeting in Washington, the head of the U.S. delegation, Roberta Jacobson, said the two sides could reopen embassies in time for a regional meeting next month. The head of the Cuban delegation, Josefina Vidal, said Cuba expects the United States to remove it from the State Department’s list of countries sponsoring international terrorism.

Roberta Jacobson: “We can get this done in time for the Summit of the Americas, and I certainly think that with the kind of cooperation that we had today, I certainly leave those conversations today optimistic, but committed and recognizing the work that still has to be done.”

Josefina Vidal: “It’s a priority for Cuba that we hope is addressed and is solved in the process towards the re-establishment of diplomatic relations, because, as I already said, it would be very difficult to say that we have re-established relations with our country still on a list that we believe very, very firmly that we have never belonged to and we do not belong to.”