US, Cuba discuss migration issues

US and Cuban officials met in Washington to discuss longstanding migration issues between the two countries, dealing with the implementation of the 1994 and 1995 US-Cuba Migration Accords, which pledges to provide safe, legal and orderly migration of Cubans to the US, according to the State Department early Thursday. During the talks, US officials highlighted areas of successful cooperation in migration, including advances in aviation safety and visa processing, while also identifying actions needed to ensure that the goals of the Accords are fully met, especially those having to do with safeguarding the lives of intending immigrants, the State Department noted in a statement. The US delegation reiterated its call for the immediate release of Alan Gross, a US citizen imprisoned in Cuba since December 3, 2009, solely for trying to facilitate communications between Cuba's citizens and the rest of the world. The US delegation was led by Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Alex Lee and the Cuban delegation was led by the Foreign Ministry's Director General for US Affairs, Josefina Vidal Ferreiro.