Minister of International Relations of Quebec Visits Cuba

Christine St-Pierre, Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie of Quebec, highlighted today the possibilities of increasing relations with Cuba in the economic, tourism and cultural fields.

St-Pierre reiterated that in 2016 Quebec's Prime Minister was welcomed by Cuban President Raul Castro and also that a high percent of tourists visiting Cuba come from Quebec.

'The people from Quebec are very fond of Cubans,' said St-Pierre, who referred to the visits of the Cuban baseball team and the National Ballet of Cuba to Quebec's cities.

'There are fields in Cuba that we must explore and I am very happy to be here, so I appreciate the welcome,' St-Pierre told the Prensa Latina news agency during a meeting with the media.

St-Pierre, and the delegation that accompanied her, arrived in Cuba at the Juan Gualberto Gomez airport, in the province of Matanzas, and they moved later to that city, 100 kilometers east of Havana.

In the city of Matanzas, she began the visit at the art gallery-workshop of sculptor Osmany Betancourt, 'Lolo', near the San Juan river, one of the three rivers of Matanzas.

She also held a meeting with Antonio Perez Marrero, president of the Cuban Association of Artisan Artists (ACAA) in Matanzas, and Pierre Hivon, from the Board of Directors of Artisans of Quebec, who promoted the cultural exchange project.

The opening of Quebec's office in Cuba is scheduled for today in Havana.

St-Pierre will hold meetings with senior officials from the ministries of Foreign Trade and Public Health and will visit the stand of Canada at the Havana International Fair, in which 14 companies from Quebec exhibit their products.

St-Pierre will return to Quebec next Wednesday and will be accompanied by Myriam Paquette, director of the Office of the Ministry in Havana, and Veronique Leclerc, head of the office for Cuba and the Antilles.