Quebec wants to open a permanent office in Cuba

Quebec wants to seize the opportunity presented by the thawing of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States toopen a permanent office in Havana.

"It would be a very concrete gesture to show our determination to establish [a] sustainable and permanent relationship with Cuba," International Relations Minister Christine St-Pierretold CBC News in a one-on-one interview.

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An office in Havana would help Quebec businesses hoping to break into the island nation's economy and help developrelationships ineducation, science and culture, St-Pierre said.

"Ideally, it would happen fairly quickly," said the minister.However,talks with Cuban authorities and the federal governmentneed to take place before the province can establish a firm presence.

First official visit lastNovember

St-Pierre accelerated steps to solidify the relationship after her official trip last Novemberthe first by a Quebec international relations minister.

She said realized Quebecneeded to act quicklyin order to take advantage of aonce-in-a-lifetime opportunity to strengthen relations with Cuba,only a three-and-a-half hour plane ride from Montreal.

Fifty countries were present at the trade fairin November, St-Pierre said, and many had the same idea.

"The Chinese are there," she said. "The Germans are there, and they definitely want to do business with Cuba."

After the mission, she expanded the responsibilities of Quebec's mission in Mexico to include Cuba, as a first step towards developingstronger and more stable ties.

Quebec'srelationship with Cuba dates back to the 18th century, when French-Canadian explorers first travelled to the island. Today, Canadians make up a third of tourists in Cuba, with Quebecers making up 40 per cent of them.

Quebec already has 26 offices in 14 countries around the world. Itopened a mission opened in Dakar, Senegal on March 4.

Under the decades-old U.S. embargo ofCuba, American authorities have the right topenalize foreign companies with U.S. business interests inCuba.

This has prevented some Quebec companies from entering the Cuban market.

However, the recent thaw in relations between the U.S. and Cuba is a signalthat the Americans may eventually lift the embargo. This is why "Quebec [is] moving forward," saidSt-Pierre.

Cuba's human rights record

When it comes to Cuba's record onhuman rights and freedom of speech, the minister believes Quebec can help promote democratic values by further developing its relationship with Cuba and its government.

"If you want to show what you are doing in your own country and the protection of values, democracy, human rights, I think it's the best way to be with them and help them understand," she said.

"They can see what we have in Canada. We have freedom of speech, and it's very, very important in a democracy."

'No-brainer,'says Cuba expert

Quebec and Canada have a "natural advantage," when it comes to capitalizing on Cuba'seconomic opening, says John Kirk, a Latin American Studies professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax, because of the relationship both governments maintainedwith the country despite U.S. policy.

However, he says, until now, Quebec and Canada have not taken full advantage of thatposition.

"This is a no-brainer," says the author and editor of 16 books on Cuba.

"While Ottawa has been asleep at the switch under Stephen Harper and has frittered away its natural advantages, other countries have not," he said.

"The government of Quebec is taking the lead, and I sincerely hope people in Ottawa will take notice and do the same thing themselves."