New York`s Cuomo in Cuba meets business, religious leaders

Havana: New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo met with Cuban officials and business and religious leaders Monday in Havana on a whirlwind tour with a delegation of US executives.

Cuomo, the first US governor to visit the island since the countries announced in December they would move to restore diplomatic ties after more than half a century, held a working lunch with Cuban Trade Minister Rodrigo Malmierca Diaz, his office said.

The visit comes in the wake of a historic meeting between US President Barack Obama and his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro at a summit in Panama this month. 

Cuomo met business leaders from both countries at a Havana hotel, where he was welcomed by the director of the trade ministry`s US office, Maria de la Luz B`Hamel.

The Democrat`s delegation included executives from MasterCard, JetBlue airlines and pharmaceutical firm Pfizer.

The move to restore ties between the former Cold War foes has piqued the interest of US companies barred from Cuba since Washington clamped a full economic embargo on the island in 1962.

But the visit was not strictly about boosting business ties, and Cuomo said Washington would continue to push Havana on its rights record. 

"The United States has significant differences with Cuba over issues such as human rights... the question is how to deal with them," Cuomo said. 

He said he agreed with Obama`s decision to move toward a diplomatic reconciliation after decades of hostility. 

"We tried the isolation, and we tried isolation for almost 60 years." 

"Let`s try engagement with diplomatic relations, with dialogue."

Cuomo also met with Roman Catholic Cardinal Jaime Ortega, praising his role in freeing some 130 political prisoners in Cuba between 2010 and 2011.

"We had a nice and very interesting meeting with the cardinal, who played a great role, I think, for Cuba," Cuomo said. 

The New York governor was welcomed by Josefina Vidal, the chief diplomat for US relations at the Cuban foreign ministry and the official who has been leading the island`s talks with Washington on restoring ties.