HAVANA – Starting on April 6, Cuba will resume mail delivery to the United States in keeping with the more flexible postal security measures implemented by Washington, although the restriction on parcels weighing more than 0.5 kilos (1.1 lbs) will be maintained, the island’s postal service said Tuesday.

The decision to reestablish direct mail service “responds to the relaxation of security measures announced by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration for all member countries of the Universal Postal Union.”

However, “the restriction on the sending of parcels to the United States will remain in force until further notice,” the communique from the state-owned Empresa de Correos de Cuba added.

On Jan. 21, Cuba cancelled mail service to the United States “until further notice” after U.S.-bound mail sent in earlier weeks via third countries was returned as a result of general changes in air shipment security mandated by Washington.

At that time, U.S. officials said that no restrictions on mail specifically coming from Cuba had been imposed and explained that the new postal security measures “apply to all countries of the world” starting in October 2010, after two package bombs directed at the United States were intercepted.

Cuba and the United States have not had diplomatic relations since 1961 and direct mail between the two countries was interrupted in 1963, a year after Washington imposed its economic and trade embargo on the Communist-ruled island.

Delegations from both governments met in September 2009 in Havana and held talks to examine the feasibility of reestablishing direct mail service.

That meeting produced only an agreement to continue talking. EFE