WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released the following statement on the Obama administration’s announcement that the United States and Cuba would restore diplomatic relations and open embassies in one another’s capital cities.

“Preserving America's relationships around the globe depends on strong diplomatic relationships and a willingness to learn from both our successes and our failures. Our missteps in particular -- from the failed isolation of Cuba to the disastrous occupation of Iraq -- present valuable opportunities to learn the lessons of our past so that we can be more secure in the future.

I applaud President Obama for recognizing that the time was right to reestablish diplomatic negotiations with Cuba. Embargo and isolation failed to bring fundamental change to Cuba and have instead become a source of friction between the United States and our partners in the Western Hemisphere and across the globe.”