Thursday, December 3, 1998; 2:03 p.m. EST

WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. and Cuban officials will meet Friday in Havana for another in a series of discussions on migration issues, the State Department said Thursday.

The talks are aimed at ensuring continued smooth operation of migration agreements between the two countries.

State Department spokesman James Foley said the talks, the 10th in the current series, will deal exclusively with migration issues. The U.S. delegation will be led by John Hamilton, a deputy assistant secretary

Since 1995, the U.S. Coast Guard has been returning to the island Cuban boat people who attempt to flee to the United States. Cuba has promised not to punish those who are returned.

A recurring U.S. complaint is that the departure fees Cuba charges to legal emigrants are excessive. A bilateral agreement requires the United States to grant residence visas to 20,000 Cubans each year.

Another U.S. concern is Cuba's unwillingness to allow the return of some of the Cubans who arrived in the United States in the 1980 Mariel boatlift.