U.S., Cuba set new round of immigration talks

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senior U.S. and Cuban officials are to meet next week in a new round of immigration talks, even as the Obama administration continues to press Cuban authorities to release a detained American aid contractor.

The State Department said today that U.S. and Cuban diplomats will meet in Havana on Jan. 12 to monitor adherence to a 17-year-old agreement under which the United States issues 20,000 visas to Cubans a year.

In the past, both sides have used the meeting to delve into more contentious issues. In making the announcement, State Department spokesman Mark Toner repeated U.S. demands for Cuba to release jailed contractor Alan Gross.

The last round of immigration talks took place in Washington last June.