Panama City, Apr 11, (RHC), -- Cuban President Raul Castro held talks on Satuday with his US counterpart, Barack Obama, in the first time the two nations' leaders have sat down for substantive discussions in more than 50 years.

"This is obviously an historic meeting," Obama said at the beginning of his session with the Cuban head of state, held on the sidelines of the Summit of the Americas.

"It was time for us to try something new," he said. ‎"We are now in a position to move on a path toward the future."

Earlier when adressing the plenary session of the Summit of the Americas, both presidents praise each other for their continued efforts to advance the process of reestablishing diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States.