HAVANA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez on Thursday met with his Canadian counterpart Chrystia Freeland to discuss the ongoing crisis in Venezuela and the recent application by the U.S. government of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act.
According to a statement of the island's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rodriguez reiterated Havana's willingness to contribute to initiatives that promote dialogue with the legitimate government in Venezuela and its President Nicolas Maduro.
"It must be based on the respect for sovereignty of each nation, international law and the proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a peace region in 2014," said the statement.
The Cuban diplomat said the dialogue must take place without threats to use military forces or applications of unilateral coercive measures against Caracas.
Freeland's visit came just two weeks after Washington enacted Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, a move that allows lawsuits in U.S. courts against foreign companies that operate in Cuba on nationalized or expropriated property after 1959.
The Canadian diplomat said prior to her visit that she wanted to discuss how to defend her nation's "legitimate trade and investment" on the island.
The decision by the Trump administration to fully implement Title III was met with wide opposition from the European Union (EU) and Canada, whose companies have billions of dollars of investments in Cuba.
