(VOVworld) – The European Union (EU) and Cuba opened a new round of talks on normalizing ties Wednesday in Havana, taking on the sensitive subjects of politics and human rights.

Chief European negotiator for the EU-Cuba talks, Christian Leffler and Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Abelardo Moreno in Havana, on September 9, 2015  (AFP Photo/Yamil Lage)

Cuban state media said the two sides expect to "conclude negotiations on cooperation and trade and open discussions on political dialogue" during the two-day talks. Brussels and Havana have now set themselves a deadline of December 31. But a high-ranking European official said that the deadline would be hard to meet, despite progress on trade and economic issues.

EU Ambassador in Cuba Herman Portocarero said there remain a number of unsettled issues and he hopes a framework agreement will soon be worked out for normalizing bilateral ties.