Minister reports successful mission to Cuba

Minister of Industry, Trade and Technology Judy Foote said the recent mission to Cuba for the Havana International Trade Fair was a successful endeavor that resulted in a number of important business deals, and provided Newfoundland and Labrador with an important opportunity to build on ties with that country.

"This mission was definitely a chance for Newfoundland and Labrador companies to prove their ability to provide quality products and services. During the trade fair, several deals were inked and more are in the works," said Minister Foote.

Several companies and organizations from the province joined the mission to the Havana International Trade Fair. The mission was organized by the Gander and Area Chamber of Commerce. The companies were Design Management Group, Memorial University, Newfoundland Styro, NewTel Enterprises and Terra Nova Trading, which have reported interest in their goods and services. Minister Foote said the companies who attended the Havana International Trade Fair will be conducting follow-up activity over the next few weeks, and more announcements are expected soon.

While in Cuba, Minister Foote met with Peter Murphy, president of Urecon Limited, which has had an office in Mount Pearl for more than 15 years. The company had traveled to Cuba on their own initiative to explore business opportunities.

The Gander and Area Chamber of Commerce signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Chamber of Commerce of Cuba to provide Newfoundland and Labrador with access to the business community of Cuba. The MOU will enable both sides to share information of interest to local companies who wish to do business in Cuba. During the signing ceremony, with Gander and Area Chamber of Commerce President Mike Harkaway, Cuban Chamber of Commerce President Carlos Martinez Salsamendi, and Minister Foote, Iceberg Vodka bottled in St. John's was used to toast the signing. "This MOU is an important step toward developing more business deals with Cuba. The sharing of information is the key to identifying new initiatives, and I am pleased that the Chambers of Commerce have undertaken this partnership," said Minister Foote.

When she arrived in Cuba, Minister Foote was met by a number of Cuban government officials. "The warm reception of the Cubans and their keen interest in doing business with Newfoundland and Labrador was evident from the moment I arrived in Cuba," said the minister. Minister Foote met with Ricardo Cabrisas, Minister of Foreign Trade, and vice ministers of the Departments of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Agriculture and Forestry, Public Health, Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation and Basic Industry.

During the official opening of the Canadian pavilion at the Havana International Trade Fair, Minister Foote took the opportunity to introduce the Newfoundland and Labrador delegation to Carlos Lage, the Secretary of the Executive Committee of Ministers, and Canadian Ambassador Keith Christie.

"This was a very productive mission. Including my meetings with a wide range of government officials, I also had several meetings with Ambassador Christie, and discussed important opportunities for Newfoundland and Labrador," said Minister Foote. She added that there were positive indications that Cuban officials and businesses will plan visits to Newfoundland and Labrador to follow up on business opportunities.

Following Minister Foote's return to the province, a department official remained for the duration of the trade fair in order to assist companies with meetings organized by the minister. Meetings were also held with Neil Anderson, vice president of Nautical Data International (NDI) of St. John's, while in Cuba. The company has been developing business with Cuba for about three years. In 1997 NDI and GeoCuba, a major mapping and charting enterprise owned by the Cuban Defense Ministry, signed a joint venture Contract of International Economic Association, and are now trading as Geospacial Caribe.

Stratos Mobile Networks signed an agreement with Iridium SudAmerica (ISA) Corp. for distribution of Iridium satellite services for handheld and paging customers located in the North Region of the Iridium SudAmerica gateway. Iridium is a global wireless communications network that combines the worldwide reach of low-earth-orbit satellites with land-based wireless systems to enable subscribers to communicate using handheld telephones and pagers almost anywhere in the world. The ISA North Region includes many of the Caribbean Island nations, as well as several South American countries such as Peru, Venezuela and Columbia.

Minister Foote added that one of the highlights of her trip was meeting with a former St. John's resident, Mary McCarthy, who has been living in Cuba for more than 50 years. She is now 96 years old and is the oldest living Canadian in Cuba. "This was an excellent opportunity to meet with a true ambassador for Newfoundland and Labrador. It highlighted the important ties we have with Cuba, and was a great way to conclude a successful trip to Havana," concluded minister.

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