Obama called Castro before summit

President Obama spoke on the phone with Cuban President Raul Castro ahead of their expected meeting in Panama, the White House said Friday.

Mr. Obama spoke with the Cuban leader Wednesday before leaving Washington for the Summit of the Americas, which begins Friday in Panama. It will be Cuba’s first time attending the summit, as the Obama administration seeks to restore diplomatic relations with the Communist regime for the first time in more than 50 years.

A White House official did not disclose the contents of the phone conversation. Administration officials said Thursday they are preparing to remove Cuba from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, a step toward reopening embassies in both countries.

Mr. Obama and Mr. Castro will attend a summit dinner with other leaders Friday night in Panama. They have met briefly once before, shaking hands at Nelson Mandela’s funeral in 2013.