Havana, April 11 (RHC) -- Cuba's President Raul Castro, expressed appreciation for the efforts of Latin American and Caribbean countries to succesfully bring Cuba to participate at the Summit of the Americas.

"It was time for me to speak here at this summit," said President Raul Castro, jokingly, while speaking at the plenary session today of the 7th Summit of the Americas, held at the ATLAPA Convention Center of Panama City.

The Cuban President reiterated Havana's readiness to engage in a respecful dialogue with the United States. He thanked US president, Barack Obama's efforts to improve relations between the two neigbouring nations, which had always been marked by a long record of US military and political agressions.

“I thank President Obama's efforts to take Cuba off the US list of States Sponsor of Terrorism, where we shouldn't have been included in the first place,” Raul Castro said.

The Cuban president also expressed solidarity with the people and government of Venezuela, higlighting that the South American country is in no way a threat to US national security.

President Raul Castro is representing Cuba at the summit of the Americas for the first time.