(VOVworld) - Cuba and the United States on Friday agreed to set up a bilateral commission to help move toward the full normalization of diplomatic ties, said Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez. He told a press conference following talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry that the commission is aimed at addressing issues that remained without a solution for over 50 years. Rodriguez stressed the two governments have distinct positions on various issues, including national sovereignty, democracy, human rights and the interpretation of historical events. He added Cuba is ready to discuss any of these issues while accepting that it will be difficult for both sides to agree on some of them. US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed his hope that the next US President will not change current US policies towards Cuba. John Kerry presided Friday's formal ceremony of raising the American flag in the recently reopened U.S. embassy in Havana after 54 years of animosity between the two nations.