WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday removed Cuba from a short list of countries the United States alleges are “not cooperating fully” in its fight against terrorism, a State Department official said.
“The department determined that the circumstances for Cuba’s certification as a ‘not fully cooperating country’ have changed from 2022 to 2023,” the official said.
The official cited the resumption of law enforcement cooperation between Cuba and the U.S. is one the reasons why the previous designation was “no longer appropriate.”
The list, which the State Department is required by law to provide the U.S. Congress, is not the same as the State Sponsors of Terrorism list, according to the department official.
North Korea, Iran, Syria and Venezuela remain listed, the official said.
(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis; writing by Jasper Ward; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)