Cuban President Raul Castro on Saturday demanded that the United States respect Cuba’s communist rule as the two countries work towards normalising diplomatic ties.

US President Barack Obama this week reset Washington’s Cold War-era policy on Cuba and the two countries swapped prisoners in a historic deal after 18 months of secret talks.

Castro applauded efforts to restore relations between Cuba and the United States during a speech before the country’s National Assembly on Saturday, saying that he was open to discussing a wide range of issues.

He stressed, however, that his country had no intention of abandoning its political principles.

“In the same way that we have never demanded that the United States change its political system, we will demand respect for ours,” Castro said.

He also warned that Cuba faces a “long and difficult struggle” before the United States removes a decades-old economic embargo against the Caribbean island.

US officials will visit Havana in January to start talks on normalising ties between the two countries.

(FRANCE 24)