Historic moment as Cuba's Washington Embassy re-opens after 54 years

The Cuban flag is raised outside the Embassy in Washington today.

Cuba once again has an embassy in the United States - more than half a century after it was closed.

The Cuban flag was raised today in a ceremony in Washington, DC, outside the same mansion which had served the role up until 54 years ago.

The US embassy in Havana was also officially reopened for business today, but the Stars and Stripes will not be hoisted there until a visit by Secretary of State John Kerry, expected to take place next month.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez presided over the reinauguration, which follows recent diplomatic breakthroughs between US President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro.

A protester outside the ceremony was detained shortly after splattering red paint from a pouch hidden in his clothing. Credit: Reuters

Relations between the two countries had been severed during the Cold War, with the Washington Embassy formally closed in 1961.

While relations between the two countries have thawed, the process towards normalisation is expected to be slow.

A man with a Che Guevra tattoo painting a door at the Cuban embassy in Washington ahead of today's opening. Credit: Yuri Gripas/Reuters

The countries are still in dispute on many matters - including human rights and Cuba's economic management - and today's developments were the culmination of more than two years of negotiations.

Speaking following the ceremony, Rodriguez said the restoration of ties would only make sense if the US lifted its trade embargo on his country and returned the Guantanamo Bay naval base to Cuban hands.