With the U.S. and Cuba normalizing its diplomatic relations, President Barack Obama is expected to comment on its progress; however, the future with the Guantanamo Bay prison facility remains shrouded.

Obama administration had sought to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba. President Barack Obama ordered for the facility's closure on Jan. 22, 2009, but the site remains open to detainees. With the administration announcing it will renew diplomatic relations with Cuba on Dec. 17, the future of the facility was questioned again since it remains open and housing suspected terrorists.

On Dec. 23, the U.S. State Department reiterated the progress of trying to close the Guantanamo facility. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf acknowledged negotiations have been taking place with foreign partners to accept detainees. Harf noted that since Cliff Sloan, the special envoy for Guantanamo's closure, started his role, 34 detainees have been transferred from the facility and more are expected to come.

"Cliff was central to the Administration's successful efforts to work with Congress to change the law which restored to the Executive Branch some flexibility to transfer detainees abroad," said Harf. "He leaves us on a very strong footing and with a clear path toward reducing the detainee population in a responsible manner and to closing, ultimately, the detention facility."

The rate of detainees at Guantanamo has declined since its peak of 684 in June 2003. As of Dec. 23, Harf said 132 detainees remained at Guantanamo, and the administration is "very much committed" to closing the facility. Harf said the process to close Guantanamo has been "very difficult" but 64 of the 132 detainees have been approved for transfer.

Since Harf's statement, as of Jan. 14, five detainees from Yemen were transferred -- four to Oman and one to Estonia. Other countries that have accepted detainees include Kazakhstan and Uruguay.

"I'm going to be doing everything I can to close it," Obama said during an interview with CNN. "It is something that continues to inspire jihadists and extremists around the world, the fact that these folks are being held. It is contrary to our values, and it is wildly expensive. We're spending millions for each individual there."

According to PolitiFact, the Guantanamo Bay detention facility had a budget of $397 million for the 2014 fiscal year, based on the U.S. Department of Defense report drafted for the Senate Intelligence Committee. A breakdown of the cost showed approximately $2.6 million was spent per detainee.

While the administration is determined to close the facility, the area also serves as a U.S. naval base. According to the New York Times, analysts have projected the base to remain open and not return to Cuba.

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