From Christian Courier, February 7, 1997

RE: Many Canadians, Christians support Ottawa accord with Cuba

Alan Doerksen

Toronto, Burlington, Ontario. With files from the Globe & Mail.

Lloyd Axworthy, Canada's foreign minister, recently completed a visit to Cuba in which he met with Fidel Castro and reached an agreement on trade, aid and human rights. Although several American politicians criticized the visit, some Canadian Christian organizations were more positive about it.

Axworthy's talks with Castro and Cuban officials were focused mostly on trade and human rights. One result was a pact between Cuba and Canada in which Cuba agreed to hold joint seminars on human rights, talks on justice issues and parliamentary exchanges. The Cuban government also agreed to allow the work of Canadian and Cuban non-governmental organizations (NGO's), which have developed links in the past three years. In addition, the Cuban government committed itself to continue talks aimed at reaching a formal agreement to fight drug traffic.

American Senator Jesse Helms, coauthor of the Helms Burton law, was sharply critical of Axworthy's meetings with Castro. Helms compared their meeting to a meeting of former British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain with Adolf Hitler just before the Second World War broke out.

But President Bill Clinton was more positive, though cautious in his assessment of the meetings: "My reaction is I'm gratified that the Canadians, along with the Europeans, are now talking more to the Cubans about human rights and democratic reforms. I'm skeptical , frankly, but the recent discussions between the Canadiens and Cubans will lead to advances. I believe that our policy is the proper one."

Personal stamp of approval

Hans Vander Stoep, executive director of the Canadian Christian Business Federation, is encouraged by Axworthy's recent trip. The agreement on NGO's, "certainly bodes well for NGO's in Canada," hey says, and the agreement on drug trafficking is also positive. The Canadian government is "doing an admirable job" in its dealing with Cuba, Vander Stoep asserts.

But he is critical of America' Helms-Burton law. "It's absolutely insane, " he says. "How can the U.S. talk so self-righteously about the Cuban situation?" he asks, when it still does trade with China.

Vander Stoep also criticizes the American embargo on trade with Cuba, which he sees as ineffective: "I don't think that has had any human rights impact."

Vander Stoep supports Canadian companies who want to do business with Cuba. "If you are a small Canadian company and want to do business only in Cuba that's fine" he says. But if a company plans to trade with Cuba and the U.S., he comments, they do it at their own peril, because of possible reprisals from the U.S. CCBF has no official stand on trade with Cuba because it deals mostly with domestic business, he explains.