Havana, February 18 (RHC) -– Cuban presidential advisor and scholar Abel Prieto said that Washington's Cuba policy has an impact on the island, but it also bans U.S. citizens from having rich cultural contacts with the Cuban people.

During an interview with Latin America expert Salim Lamrani, Prieto, who served as the island's culture minister for many years, said that the irrational, absurd and indefensible U.S. policy against Cuba prevents the two nations from having fruitful exchange.

Barack Obama allows cultural exchange but not commercial links, which prevents Cuban artists who tour the United States from receiving a single cent for their activities, said Prieto who pointed out that U.S. people are missing a good chance to take advantage of contracts with Cubans due to that absurd policy.

For Prieto, Cuba would greatly benefit from having relations with the United States and he noted that although an avalanche of American tourists could bring with it consumerism culture, positive aspects would be more than negative ones.

He said that many U.S. citizens are eager to discover what he called “the prohibited island,” since Cuba is the only country in the world where they are banned to visit. He recalled his meeting with a U.S. movie maker who was amazed to see a modern movie theater in Havana and the celebration of an international film festival each year.

The Cuban presidential advisor strongly criticized Washington's policy that bans Cuba from purchasing drugs for sick children, while maintaining constant harassment against banks that have commercial relations with the island.