FILE - In this March 9, 1977 file photo, President Jimmy Carter, right, is surrounded by journalists after a news conference where he announced the lifting of the travel ban on Cuba, Vietnam, North Korea and Cambodia, in the executive office building in Washington, D.C. Carter tried to normalize relations with Cuba shortly after taking office in 1977, re-establishing diplomatic missions and negotiating release of thousands of prisoners. But conflicts over Cuba's military mission in Africa, tension caused by a flood of Cuban refugees in 1980 and the election of Ronald Reagan end the rapprochement. On Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014, the U.S. and Cuba agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations and open economic and travel ties, marking a historic shift in U.S. policy toward the communist island after a half-century of enmity dating back to the Cold War. (AP Photo, File)