(VOVworld) – US President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro talked on telephone on Friday about steps that the two countries could take to advance bilateral cooperation.

Travelers wait to check in for travel at Miami International Airport. The US and Cuba reportedly are planning to resume regularly scheduled commercial flights. (Photo: AP)

The telephone talk came on the day when the US announced to further ease travel and business restrictions on Cuba. The Cuban President Office said that Castro underlined the need to remove US embargoes imposed since 1962.
The White House said in a statement that the two leaders hailed the importance of re-establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties. They praised the role of Pope Francis in efforts to improve US - Cuba bilateral relations.
This was the third telephone call between the two leaders since a historical announcement of bilateral diplomatic normalization last December. They held a telephone call in April on the sidelines of a summit in Panama.