• Obama removes Cuba from US Terrorism Sponsor List

Obama removes Cuba from US Terrorism Sponsor List (Photo : Twitter/@thehill)

Cuba is applauding United States President Barack Obama's decision to lift Caribbean island nation from Washington's list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Havana's chief diplomat for US affairs Josefina Vidal issued a statement on Tuesday welcoming Obama's "fair decision to take Cuba off a list that it never should have been included on," Voice of America reported.

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The Congress was informed earlier that day regarding Obama's decision, after a State Department review settled that Cuba has not provided any support for international terrorism in the last six months and given the US guarantees that it does not intend to in the future. The Congress has 45 days to overrule the decision made by the president through a joint resolution-a move which Obama is sure to turn down.

Cuba was first put on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism in 1982, for the reason that the communist island's support leftist separatist groups such as FARC in Colombia and the Basque armed group ETA in Spain, New York Times reported. However, Havana is now initiating peace talks between FARC and the Columbian government, and has dissociated itself from ETA.

The removal of Cuba from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism could be of help in securing new financial investments from the international markets.

Obama's move came just days after he met with Cuban President Raul Castro at the Summit of the Americas in Panama-the first face-to-face meeting of leaders of the two countries in more than 50 years.

Washington and Havana have held a number of round talks since the two leaders broadcasted that they plan to resume normal diplomatic relations last December, hence bringing an end to hostilities stemming from the Cold War.

On the other hand, Syria, Sudan, as well as Iran remain on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism.