In light of the recent opening and efforts to restore diplomatic ties between the United States and Cuba, President Raúl Castro nevertheless insisted on Saturday that the U.S. respect the continued communist rule of his country. He cautioned that Cuban exiles in the U.S. may attempt to sabotage the detente.

Decades of Cold War-era policy was turned on its ear this week when U.S. President Barack Obama unveiled a historic swap of prisoners, a result of  a year-and-a-half of secret talks. Cubans were thrilled with the end of open hostility from the U.S. Of special import to Cuba was the release of three of its intelligence agents who have long served time in U.S. prison for spying on groups of Cuban exiles in Florida.

Declaring that “We won the war” and that “a new chapter” has begun with the U.S., Castro had high praise for Obama for initiating the largest change in policy between the countries in over 50 years. Speaking in Havana on Saturday, Castro continued – as he has since stepping for his ailing brother, Fidel, in 2006 – to emphasize economics. He said his country would increase its economic changes into 2015, including putting an end to its two-currency system. He also recognized that government workers need to be better paid. He was sure to emphasize that, although the changes could not be too swift, they nevertheless needed to establish a structure of “prosperous and sustainable communism.“

U.S. talks intent on normalizing relations with Cuba will commence in January, when U.S. officials travel to Havana. Obama has stated that the U.S. Government will stress political and human rights issues through the negotiations.  Before his country’s National Assembly, Castro said that Cuba has never made demands to the U.S. to change its system so, in kind, “we will demand respect for ours.”

While the easement has created an unprecedented batch of good feelings on both sides, removing the U.S. economic embargo against Cuba will likely not come quickly, partially because, as Castro said, exiled Cubans in the U.S. will try to “sabotage the process.” Although he has voiced his enthusiastic intent to once and finally remove economic sanctions against the Caribbean country, Obama will need the cooperation of Congress, a body controlled by Republicans, a political party which has stated and acted for years to block him at every turn.

Castro and Obama met briefly a year ago at the funeral of South African leader Nelson Mandela. By that time, the secret talks between the U.S. and Cuba were already in their sixth month,  thanks in part to help from Canada and Pope Francis.

For spying on Cuban exiles, the five Cuban intelligence agents now free had served 14 – 16 years in U.S. prisons. In exchange, Cuba freed Alan Gross, a U.S. Agency for International Development subcontractor who was held over the last five years for importing banned computer equipment and satellite phones into the country. Also freed by Cuba was a Cuban jailed for spying for the U.S. and dozens more prisoners who have not been identified.