Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
OTTAWA, Canada — The prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, on Tuesday announced that he will pay official visits to Cuba and Argentina from November 15 to 18, and will travel to Peru from November 19 to 20 to participate in the 2016 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ meeting.
Canada enjoys strong, long-standing relations with Cuba. During the official visit, the prime minister will meet with Cuban President Raúl Castro and a number of local business and cultural leaders.
The trip will provide Canada with an opportunity to renew and strengthen its relationships with Cuba, and collaborate more closely on sustainable economic growth, inclusive governance, security, climate change, and gender equality.
At the APEC leaders’ meeting in Peru, the prime minister will join other APEC leaders to focus on strengthening the middle class, creating economic growth, and facilitating freer trade and investment in the region.
Canada is committed to deepening bilateral relations and engagement with important partners both in the hemisphere and in the Asia-Pacific region in order to benefit Canadians, and grow the middle class.
“Cuba and Argentina are two of our closest partners in the hemisphere. I look forward to working with President Castro and President Macri to stimulate more trade and investment with Canada, grow the middle class, and foster closer people-to-people ties for the benefit of all our citizens,” Trudeau said.
Canada and Cuba enjoy a diverse relationship based on 71 years of uninterrupted diplomatic engagement and constructive cooperation in areas including trade and investment, development assistance, security, and tourism. Cuba is an important market in the Caribbean/Central American sub-region with bilateral merchandise trade valued at over one billion dollars annually.