Cuba and the United States to restore postal service after 52 years

A US State Department official said: 'We are eager to finish this important work, which will serve to bring the American and Cuban people closer together.'

The US reopened its embassy in Cuba earlier this year (Getty)

Cuba and the United States will re-establish a direct postal service in the latest sign of a thawing in relations between the two countries.

The new pilot scheme will put in place direct mail flights in the coming weeks between the US and Cuba. Since 1963 the long-time adversaries have directed mail through a third country – usually Mexico or Canada – and the service was widely regarded as unreliable.

This follows a move earlier this year to restore direct phone line connections.

The two countries announced the programme in separate statements on Friday. A State Department official said to the Wall Street Journal: “We are eager to finish this important work, which will serve to bring the American and Cuban people closer together.”

The recently established Cuban embassy in Washington added to talks were “respectful, professional and constructive”.

The thawing in diplomatic relations comes after US President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced a series of steps in 2014 that have seen a historic realignment of the relationship between the two Cold War enemies.

In August this year the US reopened its embassy in Havana and Jose Cabanas became Cuba’s first ambassador to the US in 54 years.