Canada: Embargo up to US, Cuba

Posted on Sunday, 04.19.09
Canada: Embargo up to US, Cuba
By RIA TAITT
TRINIDAD EXPRESS

Although Canada feels that the US trade embargo against Cuba is not the
way to go, its removal is ultimately a matter between Cuba and the
United States, Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper said yesterday.

Speaking at a news conference at the Media Centre at the International
Finance Centre, Port of Spain, Harper said:

"The vast majority of countries here understand that while we would like
to see progress, this is ultimately a relationship between the United
States and Cuba.

"Historically, we (Canada) maintain diplomatic relations and economic
interaction with Cuba. And if we are to move Cuba forward economically,
my sense is that trying to find ways to engage (it) economically will
enhance that objective. If one wants to break down state socialist and
economic nationalist policies, I don't think a trade embargo is the way
to do that," Harper stated.

"That said, we can't turn a blind eye to the fact that Cuba is a
communist nation, and we want to see progress on freedom, democracy and
human rights, as well as on economic matters," he said.

Harper announced that Canada will supply 1,600 scholarships for students
and researchers in the region who develop their knowledge and skills in
Canada for the future benefit of their own country.

He also stated that Canada was working towards doubling its capital
subscription to the Inter-American Development Bank to ensure access to
credit in this region.

In response to a question, Harper said his view was that most countries
of the Americas subscribed to the principle that free, open markets were
the universal generators of prosperity. He said the countries of ALBA
(Alternative for the Americas) constituted a small minority at the
summit which had a distinctly different view on fundamental economic
policy. He said Central American leaders, on the other hand, were very
anxious to push forward very aggressively the trade negotiations with
Canada.

Harper said some countries wanted to keep fighting the Cold War. Asked
about the speeches delivered at the opening ceremony, Harper said some
of the Caribbean leaders spoke very eloquently. "But I think President
Obama really demonstrated that in this business, less is often more," he
said.

On yesterday's deliberations among the leaders, Harper said: "The mood
in the room is good, even though there is disagreement, and there is a
small bloc of countries with a very different economic vision from the
rest of us," he said.

"I think it helps that one of our foreign-policy objectives is
strengthening the relationship with the Americas. We have had,
historically, close relations with the Caribbean. We haven't had that so
much with Latin America, and it is more difficult when there is a chill
between the US and Latin America," he said.

Harper stated, however, that Canada has been dramatically increasing its
trade and free trade with the countries of the Americas. We have or are
negotiating free-trade agreements with virtually every country in the
hemisphere. He said Canada had trade agreements with the US and Mexico,
Costa Rica, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Panama, and were negotiating with
Caricom and Central America.

Canada: Embargo up to US, Cuba - Summit of the Americas (more) -
MiamiHerald.com (1 May 2009)

http://www.miamiherald.com/870/story/1007159.html