The former Cuban  president Fidel Castro yesterday met members of the US Congress in an  attempt to improve relations between Cuba and Washington. Castro – who was  described as "very healthy" and "very energetic" – asked what he could do to help the  US president, Barack Obama,  improve bilateral relations. Representative  Barbara Lee, a California Democrat, said Castro talked with her and two  other members of the congressional black caucus for nearly two hours  yesterday.

The  meeting has been seen as a sign that Cuba is willing to discuss better  relations between it and the US. "We believe it is  time to open dialogue and discussion with Cuba," Lee told a news conference in  Washington. "Cubans do want dialogue.  They do want talks. They do want normal  relations." Lee said the  group would present its findings to the Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, as well as  White House and state department officials.

The California  Democrat Laura Richardson said Castro "looked directly into our eyes" and  asked how Cuba could  help Obama in his efforts to change the course of US foreign  policy. Richardson said she had the  impression that the 82-year-old wanted to see improvements in his  lifetime, adding that he was "very healthy, very energetic, very clear  thinking". The talks came a  day after the full delegation of six representatives spent more than four  hours in talks with the Cuban president, Raúl Castro, in his first  encounter with US officials since he formally replaced his brother nearly  14 months ago. Obama has ordered  an assessment of US policy toward the communist  nation, and some members of Congress are pushing to lift a ban on  Americans visiting the island. Fidel Castro has  not been seen in public since undergoing emergency intestinal surgery in  July 2006.

Although he gave  up his presidential duties after becoming ill, he remains an influential  force. In a column  posted on a government website last night, Castro wrote about his meeting  with the US  representatives, saying Cuban leaders "weren't aggressors, nor did we  threaten the United  States". "Cuba did  not have any alternative but to take the initiative," he  said. He applauded the  delegation for "the interest and depth with which they expounded on their  points of view and the quality of their simple and profound  words". Jeffrey Davidow,  the White House adviser for this month's Summit of the Americas, which Obama will attend, said the  US president had no  plans to lift the 47-year-old trade embargo against Cuba but  would soon ease travel and financial  restrictions. Bills in both  houses of the US Congress would effectively bar any president from  prohibiting Americans from travelling to Cuba  except in extreme cases such as war. Lee predicted  that the measures would be approved, but said they would not spell the end  of the embargo.

"This  would be a wonderful step, allowing American citizens the right to travel  to Cuba, but much would follow  after that," she added.