50-YEAR THAW : THEY MEET... Raul Castro Delivers Stunning Defense Of President In Speech... 'I Apologize To Obama'... Calls For Reopening Of Embassies...Barack Obama And Cuba President Raul Castro Make History With First Sit-Down Meeting

The Huffington Post |  By Igor Bobic Email Posted: 04/11/2015 4:23 pm EDT

WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Barack Obama sat down with Cuban President Raul Castro on Saturday, the first substantial meeting between the countries' leaders in more than 50 years.

According to a White House pool report from the Summit of the Americas in Panama City, Obama and Castro, the brother of former Cuban President Fidel Castro, met in a small room in the convention center, and were seated next to each other in "the same set up as when world leaders are hosted in the Oval Office‎."

"This is obviously an historic meeting," Obama said. After 50 years of U.S. embargo toward Cuba, "it was time for us to try something new, that it was important for us to engage more directly with the Cuban government and the Cuban people. And as a consequence, I think we are now in a position to move on a path towards the future, and leave behind some of the circumstances of the past that have made it so difficult, I think, for our countries to communicate." Following Obama's remarks, Raul Castro said the two nations could have differences "with respect of the ideas of the others."

Raul meets Obama

"We could be persuaded of some things; of others, we might not be persuaded," Castro said. "But when I say that I agree with everything that the president has just said, I include that we have agreed to disagree. No one should entertain illusions. It is true that we have many differences. Our countries have a long and complicated history, but we are willing to make progress in the way the president has described." more