First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs on a Working Visit to Canada

Cuba’s First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gerardo Penalver Portal, spoke at the Embassy of Cuba in Canada last night. The Cuban delegation is in Canada to attend the VI Round of Inter-Chancellor Political Consultations. The visit is also a celebration of 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Cuba and Canada.

To a captive audience of Cubans living in Canada, representatives of the solidarity movement, and the diplomatic staff of the embassy, the Minister spoke on The blockade, reactivation of Helms-Burton, current economic conditions in Cuba, foreign investment attraction and other topics.

Deputy Minister Peñalver Portal was received by Senator Peter Boehm, chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Senate of Canada. Both sides welcomed the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Cuba and Canada. They also exchanged views on the priorities of the bilateral, regional, and international agenda. Finally, the Cuban delegation held a meeting with members of the Parliamentary Friendly Group, made up of deputies and senators. It was an opportunity to discuss the state of relations between the parliaments of both states and identify new areas of cooperation and mutual support.

Earlier, Peñalver Portal met with Julie Potter, vice president of Export Development Canada (EDC), and Diane Montambault, vice president of the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC). They agreed to maintain the mechanisms implemented in ​​trade cooperation and export support. They also noted that trade ties between the two countries are finding new potentials and expressed a shared desire to strengthen links.