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<html> <head> <meta name="Generator" content="Corel WordPerfect 8"> <title>CANADA, CUBA SIGN NEW AIR TRANSPORT AGREEMENTAND RENEW ANTI-HIJACKING TREATY</title> </head> <body text="#000000" link="#0000ff" vlink="#551a8b" alink="#ff0000" bgcolor="#c0c0c0"> February 12, 1998 No. 28 CANADA, CUBA SIGN NEW AIR TRANSPORT AGREEMENT AND RENEW ANTI-HIJACKING TREATY Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy and Transport Minister David Collenette today announced that Canada and Cuba have signed a new Air Transport Agreement in Ottawa. Minister Axworthy signed on behalf of Canada and the Vice-President of the Cuban Council of State, Carlos Lage, signed on behalf of Cuba. Mr. Lage is on an official visit to Canada, February 12 and 13, 1998. The Agreement contains the operational and commercial flexibility needed for both the designated Canadian airline, Air Transat, and the Cuban national airline, Cubana Airlines, to fully support the expanding bilateral air travel market. Cuba is one of the most popular Caribbean destinations for Canadians tourists; approximately 168 000 visited Cuba in 1997. "Canada is very pleased with this opportunity to sign a new and more flexible Air Transport Agreement," said Mr. Axworthy. "The expansion of bilateral scheduled air services is essential to the continuing improvement of trade and tourism links between Canada and Cuba. We believe that both travel and shipping between the two countries will be better served by the increased number of Cubana Airlines' flights to Canada and by the growing commercial presence of Air Transat in this bilateral travel market." "As a direct result of this Agreement, Cubana Airlines has added two scheduled flights per week to Toronto, which complement its twice weekly service to Montreal," said Mr. Collenette. "Air Transat now offers scheduled service to Cienfuegos in addition to Havana and Varadero." Air Transat, the largest charter operator in the market, currently serves Cuba twice weekly on a scheduled basis. The Agreement's new provisions on aviation security reflect significant improvements in Canadian requirements that have taken place in recent years. In addition, the Agreement provides greater certainty that proposed charter programs will be approved, and significantly reduces regulatory control over scheduled ticket pricing. Mr. Axworthy and Dr. Lage have also renewed and amended an Anti-Hijacking Treaty between the Government of Canada and the Government of the Republic of Cuba. The Treaty, which complements the new aviation security provisions included in the bilateral Air Transport Agreement, enables the expedited prosecution or extradition of those charged in air or vessel hijackings. - 30 - A backgrounder on Canada's relations with Cuba is attached. For further information, media representatives may contact: Debora Brown Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs (613) 995-1851 Stéphane Corbin Office of the Minister of Transport (613) 991-0700 Media Relations Office Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (613) 995-1874 This document is also available on the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Internet site: http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca Backgrounder CANADA'S RELATIONS WITH CUBA Canada's overall objective for Cuba is to encourage further commitment to human rights and assist in the economic and institutional development of the country. Canada has sought to do this through engagement and dialogue. Canada and Cuba have had an unbroken official relationship since 1945. Relations between our countries reached a high point in the mid-1970s, but declined in response to Cuban military intervention in Africa. In June 1994, the Canadian government announced a number of adjustments in its policy towards Cuba. These included an increase in high level visits, enhanced support for Canadian businesses seeking opportunities in Cuba, and the re-establishment of eligibility for development assistance. The June 1994 visit by the Canadian Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa) was a major step in the advancement of Canada-Cuba relations. In 1995, Canada received several high-level visits from Cuban officials including the Cuban Minister of Foreign Investment and Economic Co-operation, the President of the National Bank of Cuba, and the President of the Cuban National Assembly. Cuba was visited the same year by the Canadian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons, who provided a major donation of medical supplies. The Joint Declaration In January 1997, the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lloyd Axworthy, travelled to Cuba, the highest-level visit since 1976. During this visit, Minister Axworthy and his Cuban counterpart issued a Joint Declaration setting out a number of areas of agreed activity. Several of these were directly related to human rights and good governance, including the provision of Canadian expertise to the justice and legal systems, the sharing of Canadian experience in the strengthening of Cuba's infrastructure for receiving citizens' complaints, the establishment of an on-going dialogue on human rights, and the encouragement of parliamentary exchanges directly related to institution building. This declaration is unprecedented; for the first time, the Cuban government has committed itself publicly to working with a Western country on human rights and good governance. Since the signing of the Joint Declaration, consultations involving both Cuban officials and representatives of non-governmental organizations have taken place on children's rights and women's rights. The Speaker of the House of Commons has initiated exchanges on parliamentary procedures and structure, and there have been discussions on international efforts to combat terrorism. On October 2, 1997, Minister Axworthy met with Cuban Foreign Minister Robaina on the margins of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) for a broad discussion of bilateral and multilateral issues, including progress on the Joint Declaration. Human Rights Given our long-standing relations, Canada's status as a technologically advanced North American nation, and the lack of a heavily politicized agenda, Canada has been seen by the Cuban leadership as a trusted interlocutor with a balanced perspective. During active dialogue with Cuba, Canada has raised concerns over Cuba's human rights record. Canada has expressed its concerns bilaterally, as well as in multilateral settings such as the UN General Assembly and the UN Commission on Human Rights. Canadian officials meet regularly with human rights activists in Cuba, and have attended dissident trials. Canada was particularly pleased in May 1997 when the Cuban leadership co-operated in releasing to Canada a prisoner of conscience, Cecilio Ismael Sambra Haber, a renowned Cuban writer and journalist. Commercial Even before Canada established an official relationship with Cuba, trade and investment were growing between the two countries. Commerce continues to be a highlight of our bilateral relationship. Canada's objectives in the commercial sphere include fostering the development of a stable and open trading environment in Cuba and providing active assistance to Canadian businesses seeking to take advantage of commercial and investment opportunities. The Canadian Government does not impose extraordinary restrictions on sales of Canadian goods and services to Cuba. The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade supports trade promotion activities such as Cuban trade fairs and buyers or exporters missions. The Department also supports initiatives for the development of better market access and business conditions in Cuba, for example, the negotiation of a Foreign Investment Protection Agreement. On October 23, 1997, the Minister for International Trade, Sergio Marchi, met with Cuban Minister of Basic Industry, Marcus Portal, for a broad discussion of issues of interest, including trade and investment. Canada is Cuba's third-largest commercial partner with two-way trade in 1996 estimated at $670 million, up 12 percent from 1995. Our ties are strong in sectors such as tourism, mining, and agriculture. Cuba is Canada's largest trading partner in the Caribbean with Canadian exports reaching $289 million in 1996. Exports to Cuba increased by 25 percent in the first nine months of 1997. The main Canadian exports to Cuba are: agri-food (cereals, dairy products, meats, fish), fertilizers, paper and paperboard, wood products, machinery and parts, and electrical equipment. Investment Canada's foreign direct investment in Cuba, at book value, was estimated at $99 million in 1996. The bulk of investments are in the mining, petroleum, electrical generation, and tourism sectors. There are also projects in the agriculture and industrial sectors. Contacts/Tourism/Services A large number of unofficial ties link Canada and Cuba, including universities, research institutions, musicians, town twinning, and many individual contacts. In 1997, 1.2 million tourists visited Cuba, approximately 168 000 of whom were Canadian. February 1998 </body> </html>

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