WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States removed senior executives of the Banco Nacional de Cuba and Havana International Bank from its specially designated sanctions list, the Treasury Department said in a press release on Thursday.
The individuals removed from the list include Havana International Bank Chairman Jose Julio Rodriquez and Executive Director Lazaro Chao, as well as Banco Nacional de Cuba Director Raul Aguiar, according to the release.
The United States and Cuba concluded their second round of normalization talks in Washington, DC last week where they discussed a range of regulatory, commercial and migration issues among other shared priorities.
In December 2014, President Barack Obama announced the United States would normalize relations with Cuba. The two countries reopened embassies in their respective capitals on July 20, after more than 50 years of non-engagement.
Despite the relief in tensions, Washington continues to maintain a trade embargo on Cuba mandated by the US Congress.
