CUBA-CANADA: Dialogue to Overcome Differences

By Dalia Acosta Reprint | | Print |

Dalia Acosta

HAVANA, Apr 27 1998 (IPS) - Official negotiations between Canada’s Prime Minister Jean Chretien and Cuba’s President Fidel Castro starting here today, will be built on the basis of recognising differences in order to achieve dialogue.

Havana and Ottawa have shared economic interests, and last year they signed a joint declaration on the human rights front, where they maintain unprecedented co-operation.

But it is precisely here that relations between the two countries hit a dull note, despite having maintained uninterrupted, but not always steady, diplomatic relations since 1945.

“Through good times and bad, our two countries have always chosen dialogue over confrontation, contact over isolation, exchange over rupture,” Chretien said on his arrival here Sunday.

Meanwhile, Castro recognised Canada as a country “which has never been a colonial metropolis nor an imperialist power” and which never joined the blockade imposed on Cuba by the United States 36 years ago.

This Sunday, Chretien started an official visit to Cuba which will end midday Tuesday, including meetings with Castro, representatives of the Catholic Church and non governmental organisations.

Canada and Mexico were the only two countries of the American continent which did not break off relations with Cuba when Castro came to power in 1959, nor with its expulsion from the Organisation of American States (OAS) three years later.

Canada is one of the main trade parters of the United States. However, Ottawa disagrees with Washington’s methods to impose a democratisation process on Cuba to bring it into line with the hemisphere system.

“The best way to promote our values is through dialogue, and not isolation,” said Chretien, who classed the Canadian policy toward Cuba as “constructive commitment.”

“Our aim is to build bridges of comprehension and dialogue,” added Chretien, the first Canadian leader to visit the island since Pierre Trudeau in 1976.

One such bridge was represented by the joint inauguration of a new terminal at the Jose Marti International Airport, a Cuban- Canadian project worth some 93 million dollars.

Castro revealed Cuba had footed 64 million dollars of the bill with the Canadian government offering a loan for the remaining 29 million to be paid over seven years, with two years’ grace and 10 percent annual interest.

In 1997, Canada was the island’s second most important trade partner, with exchange of more than 500 million dollars.

Cuba exported nickel, crude sugar, molasses, sea products, and tobacco to Canada, and imported metal structures, industrial machinery and accessories, vehicles, electrical equipment, sulphur and potassium chloride.

The Candian company Sheritt International Corp is considered the leading foreign investor on the island, with more than 500 million dollars tied up here and dealings in the nickel, oil and communications sectors.

Around 163,000 Canadians visited Cuba last year and, according to a report from the Ministry of Tourism, in the first few months of this year, Canada pushed Italy off the top of the list of sources of tourists coming to the island.

Chretien’s visit to Havana is expected to include the signing of three exchange agreements on sports, health and audiovisual production, fulfilling the 1997 joint declaration.

This declaration included the contribution of Canadian experience to strengthen the legal system in Cuba, to contribute to improving mechanisms to deal with the people’s complaints and to encourage continuous dialogue on the human rights issue.

In his first public declaration on the island, Chretien expresssed his desire for “in depth” discussions with Castro on the 14 points of the joint declaration, including respect for human rights.

On April 21, Canada voted in favour of a US motion of censure of Cuba in the United Nations Human Rights Commission, an initiative which was defeated by 19 votes to 16, with 18 abstentions.

“We hope Chretien will concentrate on the inadequate human rights situation in Cuba in his meeting with Cuban leaders,” said US State Department representative, James Rubin, Thursday.

Nor is the possibility being overlooked of Chretien pleading the cases of four political prisoners, members of the so called Internal Dissidence Work Group awaiting trial since they were arrested on July 16 last year.

Early this month, Canada received a group of 12 Cuban opponents released as part of the appeal for clemency made by Pope John Paul II during his visit to the island in January.

He is also hoping to meet with Cuban Cardinal Jaime Ortega, and has reserved part of his programme for contact with the main leaders of the illegal Cuban opposition.