The Band of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces had obviously been practising. Lined up at the foot of the extraordinary monument to Cuba's national hero, José Martí, that towers over Havana's vast Plaza de la Revolución, they welcomed the first official representative of the Irish government to set foot on this island ? during this, the 50th anniversary of the revolution that brought independence to Cuba and Fidel Castro to power ? with an entirely creditable performance of 'Amhrán na bhFiann'.

It was a surreal moment. A Cuban flag the size of a tennis court billowed above our heads, offering intermittent shade from the hot Caribbean sun. José Martí – Tone, Emmet and Connolly combined on one tragic, saintly figure – looked down like a benign big brother. And as the strains of Ireland's anthem drifted across the sultry air, Micheál Martin TD stepped forward and laid a wreath on behalf of the Irish nation, framed by a ten-storey-high mural of Che Guevara that gave the whole occasion something of the air of a Rathmines bedsit circa 1975.

That this visit is happening at all is a mark of how rapidly the political landscape of the Americas is changing in the wake of Barack Obama's victory. Though the historical links between Ireland and Cuba are strong, an official visit from an Irish foreign minister would have been unthinkable while George Bush sat in the White House, assiduously enforcing the US trade blockade on the island. But now, just brief months after a US election which has been greeted with rare optimism in Cuba, Martin's visit is a sign that Europe is moving ever closer to normal relations with Cuba.

It is a process that Cuba desperately needs. A combination of the US blockade and the fall of the Soviet Union, which robbed Cuba of a powerful and generous ally, has left the Cuban economy in a precarious state. Like the iconic but dilapidated American cars that rumble through the streets of old Havana, the country's decaying infrastructure is held together with temporary fixes which must eventually fail. Meanwhile ordinary Cubans get on with life as best they can.

It is important, however, to put the travails of ordinary Cubans in context. Poverty in Cuba still means world-class healthcare, an excellent education system, affordable housing, electricity and running water for all. There are millions throughout the rest of Latin America who would jump at the chance of a little Cuban poverty.

Castro's decline a metaphor

But it has become increasingly clear to the Cuban regime that things could not go on the way they were going. The decline in the health of the man known universally, and with genuine affection, as Fidel, has become a metaphor for the ailing state services and the accession of his younger brother Raul Castro has signalled a new openness.

The island began to open up to tourists during the '90s, bringing in valuable foreign currency, and there are signs that doctrinaire communism is giving way to a more pragmatic version of socialism. Mobile phones are beginning to find their way into the pockets of ordinary Cubans and private enterprise and foreign commercial investment are increasingly tolerated.

Perhaps one of the most arresting signs of the change is the way the crisis of capitalism in the world beyond is being viewed in Cuba. Ten or even five years ago, the spectacular fall in world markets and the revelations about a corrupt elite would have been celebrated with glee here, but when Micheál Martin met with his Cuban counterpart, Felipe Pérez Roque in the grand colonial surroundings of the foreign ministry, their talk was of a common purpose in the face of economic, social and environmental challenges.

It is clear to all involved that the ultimate prize must be an ending of the embargo and a normalisation of relations with the US, with its neighbours in the region, and with powerful trading blocs such as Europe. China has already made considerable advances in trade with Cuba, and this perhaps has provided extra impetus to European efforts.

Speaking after their meeting, Martin was as frank as he could be. "Clearly signals are emerging. I don't presume to tell the American administration how to proceed but certainly in our view we believe dialogue is important and in terms of the welfare of people in Cuba, it would be a good thing to see a change in American policy."

Standing beside him, the Cuban foreign minister surprised some local observers by speaking off the cuff in English, as sure a sign as any of a new willingness to engage. "I think we are in a new situation in Latin America at this moment. The US blockade is older than President Obama and myself, and we have not found any reason in opposition of the idea to have normal and respectful relations between both countries. We have a common cause, and common risk, and common challenge."

There are areas where Cuba and Ireland can co-operate and Martin was keen to point out that bilateral links have been strengthened by this visit. Cuba is a world leader, for instance, in biotechnology, and the minister learned more about how Irish doctors and scientists are collaborating with the internationally-renowned Cuban Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.

Irony of human rights question

The advance publicity from the Department of Foreign Affairs was at pains to point out that Martin would be raising the question of human rights during his talks, but in fact, Cuba has already signed up to the Universal Peer Review mechanism at the UN. Speaking to the Sunday Tribune, Martin said he had found no resistance on the Cuban side to talking about such matters.

"We got, I would say, a positive response in terms of Cuba's intention and willingness to engage in international fora on human rights questions, and of course what may not be widely known is that Cuba has already signed up on two very important human rights covenants."

The irony is that the most egregious and notorious violations of human rights on this island are being perpetrated in Guantánamo bay by the US, facilitated, albeit minimally, by access to Shannon airport. So it is unlikely that Martin pressed his opposite number very hard. But it was also clear from the Cuban foreign minister's demeanour that Cuba is aware that improvements in openness and transparency will bring greater rewards to its people, and its relations with the rest of the world. And as Obama moves to close the concentration camp in Guantánamo, all those who wish Cuba well will be hoping that the next step will be a lifting of the US blockade and the dawning of a new era in Cuban history.

With the opportunity to trade and develop a modern economy, landing somewhere in between the rigidity of communism and the fragility of unrestrained capitalism, there is no reason why this happy island could not become a beacon for other poor countries to follow.