Obama Greets Cuba's Castro at Summit as Talks Proceed on Ties

President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro met briefly in Panama, shaking hands and exchanging words in their first encounter since December when they started work on restoring diplomatic ties strained for a half century.

The pair, who spoke by phone two days ago, saw each other briefly Friday in Panama City as they joined other leaders at Atlapa Convention Center before a formal dinner to start the Summit of the Americas meeting. The two probably will spend more time together on Saturday, Ben Rhodes, White House deputy national security adviser, said earlier Friday.

"We certainly do anticipate that they will have an opportunity to see each other tomorrow," Rhodes told reporters in Panama City. "There's a range of issues where we've been in dialogue with the Cubans. The two leaders will be able to address and take stock" of progress on negotiations.