Obama, Castro push each other to improve relations


President Obama and Raúl Castro jointly addressed the public Monday after they sat down for a meeting Monday morning at the Palace of the Revolution. Castro pressed Obama to end the U.S. embargo, and Obama pushed Castro to respect freedom of speech and assembly.
"We believe that when we share our deepest beliefs and ideas with an attitude of mutual respect, that we can both learn and make the lives of our people better," Obama said.
Before the meeting, Obama attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial for poet José Martí. He will also attend an event for entrepreneurs and a state dinner.
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Watch the leaders' statements below. Julie Kliegman
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Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.
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