HAVANA, Cuba (AP):
Cuba has announced it is eliminating a surcharge on phone calls to and from the United States that contributed to high prices.

The government says the move is aimed at improving communication with Cuban-Americans.

A statement sent to international news organisations Friday doesn’t go into specifics, but refers to a decree in 2000 that established a 10 percent surcharge on such calls.

Calls to the United States from Cuba can cost as much as $3 a minute, while calls from the U.S. to Cuba usually cost a bit more than $1 a minute.

Cuba often blames the high rates on the U.S. economic embargo.