President Obama announced the end of years of hostilities between the U.S. and Cuba, and the agreement for the opening of embassies in Washington and Havana on Wednesday.

Obama also told reporters and the nation that Secretary of State John Kerry will raise the flag above the U.S. embassy when it opens this summer. The flag-raising will represent the first time that a flag has flown over an embassy in that country since President Eisenhower severed diplomatic relations with Cuba and closed the installation there.

There is no concrete date set as yet for the opening of the two embassies, and the opening is only the beginning of a long process of normalizing relations between the two countries.

Secretary Kerry said in Vienna that relations between the U.S. and Cuba are “long overdue,” and continued saying, “The United States and Cuba continue to have sharp differences over democracy, human rights and related issues, but the two countries have identified areas for cooperation, including law enforcement, emergency response, environmental protection and migration.”

“Though Congress still needs to remove the embargo on trade and travel to Cuba, this announcement is historic and the result of President Obama’s deeper process of updating U.S. policy towards Cuba for the 21st century,” Washington Office on Latin America Program Director Geoff Thale said.

Cuban president, Raul Castro said in a letter tot he White House, that Cuba is “encouraged by the reciprocal intention to develop respectful relations and cooperation between our people and governments.” But, the Cuban government is also demanding an end to the embargo, the return of Guantanamo, as well as the cessation of radio and TV broadcasts aimed at the island nation.

Not everyone was thrilled about the re-opening of relations with Cuba. Visiting Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, Roger Noriega, said in a statement, I certainly hope that the president hasn’t lowered our standards in defense of democracy in order to raise the flag in Havana, he wasn’t particularly candid with the American people in explaining what’s at stake, and explaining how dangerous that Cuban government continues to be today.”

Florida’s Republican Congresswoman, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen said that the re-opening of the embassy in Havana will only embolden the Castro regime to “continue tis attacks against the Cuban people,” and said the re-opening “will do nothing to help the Cuban people and is just another trivial attempt for President Obama to go legacy shopping.”

The opening of a Cuban Embassy still must overcome obstacles in Congress. Monies to re-furbish or build a new embassy in Havana still must be approved by Congress. It was only last month that the Republlican-led House Appropriations Committee restricted funds for working on the embassy.

  cuba, embassies, embassy, havana, re-opening, relations, washington d.c., white house