Havana, May 15 -- Amid strained bilateral ties between Cuba and the United States due to Washington's repeated caveats towards the communist government in the Caribbean country, a US delegation led by the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, John Ratcliffe, visited Havana for talks with Cuban officials.

In an official statement issued by the Cuban government on Thursday (local time), the Cuban government said the visit took place following a request submitted by the US government and was approved by the "Directorate of the Revolution."

The meeting was held on May 14 between the US delegation and Cuban counterparts from the Ministry of the Interior, with Havana describing the talks as part of efforts to maintain political dialogu...