US opens embassy in Cuba

The official opening ceremony of the US embassy was held in Havana. The American flag is raised above the building. During a ceremony, it was handed over to US servicemen by three retired Marines, who lowered the flag in January 1961.

The ceremony was attended by US Secretary of State John Kerry - he became the first Secretary of State to visit Cuba in 70 years. Kerry called the opening of the embassy a historic moment. At the same time, he noted that the United States will continue to seek political change in Cuba so that the citizens of the country "are free to choose their leaders."

• The Cuban Embassy in the United States opened in July 2015. In December 2014, Barack Obama and Cuban leader Raul Castro announced their intention to fully restore diplomatic relations between the two countries, which were formed in 1961, after the Cuban revolution.