Obama and Raul Castro announced efforts to normalize relations US and Cuba

Raul Castro and Obama

Obama and Raul Castro announced efforts to normalize relations US and Cuba

President Raul Castro and Pesident Barack Obama

Speech of President Raul Castro welcomed the announcement Pesident Barack Obama.

US President Barack Obama, praised the 'new chapter' in relations with Cuba while announcing the normalization of diplomatic and economic efforts of the two countries.

According to Obama, the US approach has been already 'outdated; and changes adopted is the most important in US policy on Cuba in 50 years.

While Cuban President Raul Castro, a welcome change US policy in a speech broadcast TV governments.

Steps to initiate talks aimed at restoring the relationship taken after the release of US contractor Alan Gross, and three Cubans held in the United States.

Alan Gross, 65, was detained for five years in Cuba for trying to open up internet service, which is banned there

Efforts to restore this relationship was announced more than a year after the official talks in Canada and in the Vatican, which involves direct Pope Francis.

Alan Gross

Alan Gross released after five years in Cuba.

"To those who support this move, I say thank you for being a partner in our efforts," Obama said in a speech, Wednesday, December 17th.

"In particular I want to thank the Holy Pope Francis, whose moral example shows us the importance of trying to realize the world is supposed to and not to accept the world as it is."

While President Raul Castro said he repeatedly expressed a willingness to be respectful dialogue with the United States based on the equal sovereignty.

"That position submitted to the US government publicly and privately by Comrade Fidel (Castro) in a few moments in our long struggle."

In 2011, the Cuban revolutio (nary leader Fidel Castro resigned as Cuba's Communist Party leader after handing the presidency to adiknnya, Raul Castro. (BBC)