Cuba says it is not a threat, open to dialogue with US

Cuba's foreign minister has said the country poses no threat to the United States and remains ready for dialogue with Washington based on the principle of sovereign equality, according to Anadolu Agency.

In remarks addressing the decades-long US embargo on the island, the minister described the measure as a form of "collective punishment" against the Cuban population, arguing that it has caused lasting economic harm.

The minister said Havana is open to expanding trade and cooperation with the United States, but stressed that any such engagement must take place without preconditions and on the basis of mutual respect between the two countries.

Long-standing tensions

The US embargo on Cuba has remained in place for decades despite periodic diplomatic thaws between the two governments, and has been a recurring subject of criticism at international bodies including the United Nations, where it has drawn broad opposition from other member states.

Cuban officials have repeatedly called for the embargo's removal, framing it as an obstacle to the country's economic development rather than a response to any current security threat posed by Havana. There was no immediate response from Washington to the latest comments.