Canada Foreign Minister on Cuba

The Canadian Press 

In Cuba, Baird said he had frank discussions with his counterpart, Bruno Rodriguez, who at 54 is a political spring chicken compared the octogenarian holdovers from the 1959 revolution who still occupy high offices.

Since taking charge, Raul Castro has allowed a series of small, free market reforms, and eased travel restrictions on Cubans.

“I think there’s a long way to go,” said Baird. “They’re beginning to make some significant economic reform, so I think there’s some reason for optimism there.”

He also said Cuba is beginning a transition to new leadership.

“There is beginning to be a change of the guard in the cabinet, and among the senior leadership — just a beginning — I think that gives us some reason for optimism,” he said.

“Obviously, we want to see people in Cuba live in freedom and prosperity.”

Baird said Canada still opposes Cuba’s return to the Organization of American States when it holds its next summit in 2015, saying the country needs to go further on its reforms. Canada and the U.S. oppose the return of Cuba to the 35-country Western Hemisphere club.

But Canada supports Cuba’s calls for the United States to end its five-decade long economic embargo.

“Obviously, we don’t share views with our closest friend and ally on that issue,” said Baird, who noted that the Obama administration has eased some of the provisions of the embargo in recent years.

Despite the embargo, Baird said he was surprised by the U.S. presence in Havana.

The American Interest Office, he said, which houses U.S. diplomats, “is the biggest foreign office in the country. There were Americans everywhere I went — in the elevator at the hotel.”