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Barack Obama welcomed in Havana by guard of honour and Raul Castro Raul Castro urges Barack Obama to return Guantanamo Bay during historic visit
(about 3 hours later)
A Cuban guard of honour greeted President Barack Obama at the Palace of the Revolution in Havana before he was ushered into a chamber with his official host, President Raul Castro, for formal talks aimed at cementing their joint push for thawed relations between their countries. Standing alongside President Barack Obama on his historic visit to Havana, the Cuban leader, President Raul Castro, has called on the United States formally lift the blockade imposed on his country more than fifty years ago and return the territory occupied by the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay.
Yet, Mr Castro paid tribute to the steps already taken by Mr Obama towards ending the mutual enmity that dates back to the Cold War.
A Cuban guard of honour had earlier greeted President Barack Obama at the Palace of the Revolution in Havana before he was ushered into a chamber with his official host, President Raul Castro, for formal talks aimed at cementing their joint push for thawed relations between their countries.
It was a full pomp-and-circumstance affair with lines of Cuban military personnel - men and women - in pristine white tunics welcoming the President Obama as he walked, accompanied by Mr Castro, the length of the ceremonial hall of the Palace.  It was a full pomp-and-circumstance affair with lines of Cuban military personnel - men and women - in pristine white tunics welcoming the President Obama as he walked, accompanied by Mr Castro, the length of the ceremonial hall of the Palace.  
Mr Obama had earlier on Monday laid a wreath at the memorial to Jose Marti, a Cuban independence hero.Mr Obama had earlier on Monday laid a wreath at the memorial to Jose Marti, a Cuban independence hero.
The talks between Mr Obama and Mr Castro represents their third face-to-face meeting since they announced, from their respective capitals, their intention to end the decades of enmity between the nations in late 2014. They met and shook hands at the April 2015 Western Hemisphere summit in Panama City and again in September last year on the fringes of the UN General Assembly in New York.The talks between Mr Obama and Mr Castro represents their third face-to-face meeting since they announced, from their respective capitals, their intention to end the decades of enmity between the nations in late 2014. They met and shook hands at the April 2015 Western Hemisphere summit in Panama City and again in September last year on the fringes of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Some saw a certain ambivalence to Mr Obama’s visit – the first by a US president to the island in 90 years – on the part of the Cuban regime when Mr Castro failed to appear at Havana airport on Sunday to welcome the American first family.    But the full honours now given to Mr Obama may have corrected that perception.  Mr Obama will address the Cuban people in a major address on Tuesday.Some saw a certain ambivalence to Mr Obama’s visit – the first by a US president to the island in 90 years – on the part of the Cuban regime when Mr Castro failed to appear at Havana airport on Sunday to welcome the American first family.    But the full honours now given to Mr Obama may have corrected that perception.  Mr Obama will address the Cuban people in a major address on Tuesday.