Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Cuban President Raul Castro Talk Economic Ties In NYC
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Cuban President Raul Castro met Friday to discuss economic development as relations between the Caribbean nation and the U.S. continue to thaw.
Cuomo and Castro met in the afternoon at the Cuban mission to the United Nations in New York City. Cuomo was joined by Howard Zemsky, his administration's top economic development official.
Cuomo traveled to Cuba in April for a two-day trade mission, becoming the first sitting American governor to visit the nation since President Barack Obama and Castro announced the two nations would re-establish diplomatic ties.
The Democratic governor has said he wants to find ways to help New York take advantage of the emerging Cuban market.
The April trip yielded two business deals, including one in which an upstate medical facility will run clinical trials of a lung cancer vaccine developed by Cubans, CBS2's Marcia Kramer reported.
While the U.S. trade embargo with Cuba would have to be lifted by Congress, President Barack Obama can grant licenses to businesses to trade with the island nation.
Castro is in New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
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