Consultations Canada-Cuba started in Ottawa

Delegations of Canada and Cuba started consultations at Foreign Ministers level today and until next Friday, according to the first vice minister of Foreign Affairs of the island, Marcelino Medina.

Both nations celebrate 75 years of uninterrupted diplomatic relations, which were established in 1945, Medina said in a twitter.

Medina concluded the day before an official visit to Quebec, where he was received by Sylvie Barcelo, first deputy minister of the Ministry of International Relations and Francophonie (MRIF) of Quebec; and by Éric Marquis, Vice Minister for Bilateral Relations of the Ministry of International Relations and Francophonie (MRIF) of Quebec.

According to the website of the Cuban Foreign Ministry, in both meetings Medina was accompanied by the Cuban ambassador, Josefina Vidal, and other diplomats of the island. The links between the island and that Canadian province were reviewed, and the interest in continuing to expand cooperation in areas such as tourism, energy, agriculture and climate change was reaffirmed.

The importance of the Biennial Action Plan signed between the MRIF and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment of Cuba, and the role of the Quebec Office in Havana in promoting economic, educational, cultural and scientific exchanges, was also highlighted, as well as promoting collaboration in sectors of common interest.

The first Cuban vice minister was also received by the director of International and Interparliamentary Relations of the National Assembly of Quebec and was able to learn about the experience of this province in the development of social cooperatives.

The visit confirmed the good state of relations between Cuba and Quebec and the existing potential to deepen ties in different areas, a note from the Cuban ministry said.

Havana and Quebec have a long-standing relationship and come from this province the first tourists who came to the country from Canada in the 80s of the last century and Quebecers represent 40 percent of the million Canadians who they are destined for the island.

According to the note, trade grew in recent years and Quebec businessmen have a permanent presence at the Havana International Fair which led to about 40 mutually beneficial cooperation projects being executed in the last three years between entities of both parts in the most diverse spheres.

Also announced for next summer the meeting of the Quebec-Cuba Working Group to be held in that city in eastern Canada to address issues such as diversification of the economy and cooperatives.