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The top U.S. and Cuban diplomats have met in Panama in the highest-level meeting between the two governments in more than half a century. The U.S. State Department says Secretary of State Kerry and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez met on Thursday evening in Panama City, where the Summit of the Americas kicks off on Friday. Officials described the meeting as lengthy. They say that Kerry and Rodriguez agreed that they had made progress and would keep working to address ongoing issues. President Obama and Cuba's Raul Castro spoke by phone ahead of a regional summit in Panama where the two are likely to interact, a White House official said. The official told Fox News that Obama and Castro spoke by phone on Wednesday, before Obama left Washington, D.C. Both leaders are in Panama City for the Summit of the Americas. It's only the second-known conversation between the leaders of the U.S. and Cuba in more than 50 years; the first was in December, shortly before Obama and Castro announced plans to restore diplomatic ties. While the two aren't scheduled to meet formally while in Panama, they are expected to interact on the sidelines. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met his Cuban counterpart in Panama late Thursday in the highest-level discussion between representatives of Washington and Havana in more than 50 years. The State Department said Kerry met Cuba Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez ahead of the summit. A senior State Department official described the discussion between Kerry and Rodriguez as "lengthy and very constructive", but provided few details. Reuters reported that the meeting in the restaurant of a Panama City hotel lasted for at least two hours, with Kerry occasionally gesticulating toward Rodriguez. This year marks Cuba's first appearance at the Summit of the Americas, which have been seven times since 1994. In December, Obama and Castro announced their intention to restore diplomatic relations, beginning a...

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