Cuba, US ties called first step

Rodriguez, the first Cuban foreign minister to visit the US State Department since 1958, acknowledged that the two countries have profound differences, from human rights to international laws.

"But we strongly believe that we can both cooperate and coexist in a civilized way, based on the respect for these differences and the development of a constructive dialogue oriented to the wellbeing of our countries and peoples, and this continent, and the entire world," he said.

Also speaking in both English and Spanish, Rodriguez called the US to lift its blockade on Cuba, a term Cubans use for the economic and trade embargo imposed by the US in the early 1960s. The embargo has been condemned in the United Nations General Assembly every year for the past 23 years.

Both Obama and Kerry have described the embargo as a policy that has not worked and instead caused isolation of the US. While they have urged the Congress to lift the embargo, opposition in the Republican-controlled Congress has been strong, making any immediate prospect for a lift of the embargo unlikely.

Under the embargo, US citizens are not allowed by its government to travel to Cuba unless for academic purposes and visiting relatives.

Rodriguez said the Cuban people and government have recognized the efforts by Obama to lift the blockade and for his efforts to use executive power to influence the policy.

"Their scope is still limited, but these are steps taken in the right direction," he said.

The Cuban foreign minister also called on the US to return Guantanamo naval base, known to the world for its notorious detention center where people have been held without due process.