Former US President Mr Jimmy Carter met top Cuban officials in in Havana last night.
Mr Carter was warmly welcomed in Havana on his historic visit - the first by any US president for 40 years - by President Mr Fidel Castro and applauded by US tourists for his efforts to bridge the political gap between the nations.
Mr Castro (75), dressed in a dark business suit instead of his usual military fatigues, met Mr Carter at Havana's airport and praised him for attempting a conciliation with Cuba during his 1977-1981 presidency despite the Cold War.
Mr Castro later hosted a dinner for Mr Carter at the government headquarters in Havana's Revolution Square, attended by his top ministers and the president of the National Assembly.
"It is no secret that for almost a century there have not been optimal relations between the two states, and they still are not," Mr Castro said in welcoming remarks.
"However . . . in the four years of your tenure as president, you had the courage to make efforts to change the course of those relations," he said, standing before US and Cuban flags.