The following statement was issued today by National Security Council spokesperson Ned Price.
Since
President Obama's historic December 2014 announcement that the United
States would re-establish diplomatic relations and begin a process of
normalizing relations with
Cuba, we have taken important steps to promote engagement between U.S.
and Cuban citizens by facilitating greater travel and commerce. By
expanding people-to-people ties, business opportunities, and greater
access to information, we are promoting the transformation
of our relationship in ways that advance U.S. interests and improve the
lives of the Cuban people.
The
President has repeatedly underscored that our Cuba policy has changed,
and supports increasing connections between the people of the United
States and Cuba. The Department
of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the
Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security, in coordination
with the Department of State, previously issued amended regulations to
support the President's policy of empowering the
Cuban people and creating conditions for more economic opportunities
between Cubans and Americans.
Today, these agencies have announced additional regulatory changes to
build on that progress. These changes will remove financing
restrictions for most types of authorized exports, amend regulations to
increase support for the Cuban people and facilitate
authorized exports, and further facilitate authorized travel. Just as
the United States is doing its part to remove impediments that have been
holding Cubans back, we urge the Cuban government to make it easier for
its citizens to start businesses, engage
in trade, and access information online.
Engagement
and purposeful steps like those announced today will continue to
empower the Cuban people and advance our enduring objectives of
supporting human rights, improving
the lives of the Cuban people, and promoting closer ties between our
peoples.
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
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