"Cuba would be pleased to work with companies from all over the world, including the United States. The only one who has limits is the US government," Malmierca said at a press conference ahead of US President Barack Obama visit, adding that the United States was the one to make the trade between the two countries impossible.
The Cuban minister underscored that the recent Obama's steps to mitigate the limitations are "steps in the right direction."
"We want to diversify our market. The more diversified economy is, the better," he added.
Rodrigo Malmierca announced that he would hold a meeting with US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker in Havana on Sunday amid the historic visit of the US President to the island nation.
"We agreed to meet today after her arrival to continue exchanging topics of bilateral relations in the framework of our bilateral trade relations and common interest," Malmierca told reporters hours before the US delegation visit to Cuba headed by President Barack Obama.
The United States and Cuba have already held two rounds of regulatory dialogue, which Malmierca called "useful," and stated that Havana is fully willing to continue this dialogue.
Obama is set to travel to Cuba on Sunday in the wake of his US-Cuba normalization policy. His official two-day program will start on March 21.
