CIA director meets Cuban officials in Havana
A US delegation led by CIA director John Ratcliffe has met Cuban Interior Ministry officials in Havana, according to a statement from the Cuban government.
The meeting was described as focusing on possible cooperation between law-enforcement agencies.
The statement said both sides underscored an interest in bilateral cooperation in the interests of security for both countries, as well as regional and international security.
It also said Cuba told the US delegation that it does not pose a threat to US national security.
The talks come after US President Donald Trump said the two countries were "going to talk".
A US government plane was seen leaving Havana's international airport on Thursday afternoon, shortly before the statement was issued.
The meeting is notable because it brings together officials from two countries with long-strained relations, while Cuba is also facing a worsening energy crisis and repeated power cuts.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has said Washington should lift its blockade rather than offer aid.
Cuban officials say the island's oil reserves have run out, and that fuel shortages have deepened since January when the United States imposed an oil blockade.
