Reply #15: Maine governor calls for gradual normalization of relations with Cuba

[Thom Little]

The governor of Maine, on his first trip to Havana, said the normalization of relations with communist Cuba must come "one step at a time" after signing a trade agreement Sunday with island authorities.

John Baldacci, the sixth U.S. governor to travel to Cuba, said he wanted Maine to be a leader in the process of further opening trade with the island.

"We're working within the existing framework, trying to show other states the ability to trade with Cuba, and gain from Maine leadership," Baldacci told a news conference. "We hope to demonstrate how important this is."

Maine was the first state to publicly declare by legislative resolution in 2001 its support for bilateral trade with Cuba and urge an end to the decades-old U.S. embargo.


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