On March 16, Cuba and Canada will celebrate the 75th anniversary of uninterrupted diplomatic relations, which have stood the proof of time since they were established in 1945.
Diplomatic and commercial ties have grown stronger, but most importantly, the friendship between both peoples has been nurtured and strengthened.
The leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro paid two visits to Montreal (1959 and 2000), and three Canadian Prime Ministers, Pierre Trudeau (1976), Jean Chretien (1998) and Justin Trudeau (2016), visited our Island.
The existing high-level dialogue has been strengthened through several government visits in both directions, including those of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, and with the institutionalization of the annual political consultations four years ago.
In about 25 years, Canada has become the number one market for the Cuban tourism sector and, for nine consecutive years, Cuba has been chosen by more than one million Canadians as a safe and attractive destination for its natural beauty, the richness of its culture, and the warmth and hospitality of its people, in which many Canadians have found a second family.
Canada is the second investor and the fourth trading partner of Cuba, and our Island is one of the main markets for Canadian exports in Central America and the Caribbean.
Canada is one of the main providers of development assistance to Cuba in priority sectors, such as food security, economic modernization, sustainable development and renewable sources of energy.
An important place in the bilateral relation is occupied by the links between Cuba and Quebec; we must highlight the operation of the Québec-Cuba Working Group and the active performance of the Québec office in Havana in promoting its culture and the beneficial mutual links.
Cuba-Quebec ties are an example of how cooperation with Canadian provinces can be a mainstay and strength in the development of the bilateral relations between our two countries.
Today we can exhibit a mature relationship, which allows us to work together on issues of mutual interest to strengthen our relations, and to hold respectful and constructive discussions on how to address and face common challenges, bilateral and international, on which we may have coincidences or even different opinions and approaches.
Our relationship is a good model of the links that can exist between two countries with different political, social and economic systems at different stages of development.
Cuba looks forward to seeing Canada becoming a key player in the development of the island´s economy in the coming years, for which conditions exist, given the stability in our bilateral relations and the business opportunities that the Canadian and the Cuban market offer today.