By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON
The U.S. confirmed Thursday that it will participate in migration talks with Cuba later this month in Havana.
The U.S. will send its highest-ranking delegation to Cuba in decades to participate in the Jan. 21-22 talks.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said discussion will address how to “ensure safe, legal and orderly migration between the United States and Cuba.”
Assistant Secretary of State Roberta Jacobson, Washington’s top diplomat for Latin America, will head the delegation, according to Psaki.
Jacobson was previously the highest-ranking representative to visit Cuba on official travel, having visited the island nation in 2011 as principal deputy assistant secretary. The State Department have since limited high level visits to the deputy assistant secretary level.
In addition to the official agenda, Psaki said that the talks will serve as a venue for “issues surrounding that, including the reopening of embassies, requiring certain logistical arrangements, embassy operations, staffing, visa issues.”
The U.S. hosted the last round of talks in July 2014. The date for this year’s talks were previously undisclosed.
