VZCZCXRO3410
PP RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHMT RUEHQU RUEHVC
DE RUEHOT #0436/01 1591721
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 081721Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9517
INFO RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS PRIORITY
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA PRIORITY 0033

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 000436 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CCA ZAMBRANO AND WHA/CAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM ETRD ETTC CU CA
SUBJECT: CANADIAN POLICY ON CUBA 
 
REF: STATE 48487 
 
OTTAWA 00000436  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) The Government of Canada continues to promote the 
advancement of democracy, good governance, and human rights 
in Cuba according to Department of Foreign Affairs and 
International Trade (DFAIT) Officials.  Canada shares the 
U.S. goals of promoting democracy and human rights in Cuba, 
while maintaining its own policy of "principled engagement" 
with both the Cuban government and dissident elements.  The 
GOC believes its approach allows it to have a positive impact 
on human rights and democracy in Cuba.  Canada maintains a 
diplomatic presence in Havana and conducts aid programs worth 
about C$10 million/year. 
 
¶2. (SBU) DFAIT Officials said that Canada has engaged and 
intervened on behalf of human rights and the advancement of 
democratization in Cuba a number of times over the past six 
months.  Acording to DFAIT: 
 
-- Canadian and Cuban officials met regularly to discuss the 
harsh treatment of dissidents.  Conversations were reportedly 
"firm and frank."  DFAIT officials said that meeting with 
dissidents is a normal part of Canadian diplomatic work in 
Cuba, though they could provide no specific examples of 
meetings.  However, the DFAIT Cuba desk officer and deputy 
director said they were unaware of the existence of dissident 
journalist and academic groups, members of which meet 
regularly with USINT officers. 
 
-- the Canadian Embassy in Havana has recently opened the 
seventh Canadian Studies Center in Cuba.  These centers, 
funded by Canada and run by the Cuban Ministry of Education, 
reportedly inform the general populace about life in a 
democratic country with a market-based economy.  The Canadian 
Government also regularly sends speakers to these venues, as 
well as funds economics professors teaching modern economic 
theory at the University of Havana.  Canada plans to open its 
eighth center in July, according to DFAIT contacts. 
 
-- the Canadian Foundation for the Americas (FOCAL), a 
Canadian government-funded think tank, runs a series of 
programs (in Canada) on Cuba that focus on support for 
dissidents and democratization.  FOCAL documents all Cuban 
government actions against dissidents, supports an active 
dialogue on planning for the post-Castro area, and assists 
civil society programs on human rights and democracy. 
 
¶3. (SBU) According to DFAIT officials, high-level diplomatic 
visits between Cuba and Canada over the past six months have 
included National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcon 
attendance at an academic conference in Kingston, Ontario in 
early May.  Alarcon also visited Ottawa where he met with the 
Members of Parliament from the Cuba-Canada 
Inter-Parliamentary Group, including Bloc Quebecois leader 
Gilles Duceppe.  Notably, Cuba cancelled the planned mid-May 
visit of Canadian Minister of State for the Americas Peter 
Kent to Havana.  Kent told reporters prior to his planned 
visit that he aimed to use his scheduled meeting with Cuban 
President Raul Castro to raise democratic reform and human 
rights.  DFAIT contacts say the Cuban government also took 
offense at recent strong pro-human rights statements by Prime 
Minister Harper. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Media reports indicate that Canada remains Cuba's 
third largest trade partner, with trade growing by 9.4% in 
¶2008.  Canadian companies operate in a variety of sectors of 
the Cuban economy, including tourism, construction, 
agriculture, bio-technology, and mining.  According to 
Canadian Government statistics Canadian exports to Cuba in 
QCanadian Government statistics Canadian exports to Cuba in 
2007 were estimated at C$ 563 million (USD 524 million). 
Main exports are machinery, electronic equipment, motor 
vehicles, as well as copper, iron, and steel products. 
Canadian imports from Cuba were worth about C$1.06 billion 
(USD 988 million) in 2007.  Primary imports are tobacco, 
books and newspapers, and seafood.  Canadians make up close 
to one-third of Cuba's foreign tourists. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The media also reported that the Canadian Wheat 
Board and Cuba's Alimport signed an agreement at the Havana 
Trade Fair for the sale of 150,000 tons of Canadian wheat to 
Cuba.  Canada is one of the largest foreign investors in 
Cuba.  Canadian natural resources company Sherritt 
International, the largest and most established Canadian firm 
in Cuba, engages in mining, oil and gas production, 
electricity generation, and soybean processing. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Canada has no bilateral trade agreements with Cuba. 
According to DFAIT, Canada and Cuba are currently in the 
 
OTTAWA 00000436  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
early stages of negotiating a Foreign Investment Protection 
Agreement (a bilateral investment treaty). 
 
¶7. (U) Canada has no formal exchange programs specific to 
Cuba.  The Canadian government maintains a Canada-Caribbean 
Community Leadership Scholarship Program offering university 
students scholarships for short-term research exchanges, for 
which students from across the Caribbean -- including Cuba -- 
are eligible to apply.  In addition, many exchanges occur 
informally between organizations such as high school sports 
teams and cultural groups. 
 
Visit Canada,s North American partnership community at 
http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / 
 
BREESE