By JUAN O. TAMAYO
Herald Staff Writer
President Clinton and a Cuban official, for vastly different reasons, on Thursday expressed skepticism that a new Canadian initiative will significantly alter the island's human rights picture.
Clinton told reporters he was gratified that Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy had taken up the topic of human rights during his unprecedented 24-hour visit to Havana.
Axworthy and Cuban Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina announced a broad cooperation plan at visit's end Wednesday that included unspecified bilateral cooperation in the area of human rights.
But Clinton was unconvinced. ``Frankly, I am skeptical that the recent talks between the Canadians and Cubans will lead to progress,'' he said. ``I believe that our policy is the proper one.''
A Cuban Foreign Ministry spokesman meanwhile said it would be a ``grotesque exaggeration'' to believe that by agreeing to cooperate with Canada, Cuba was acknowledging a serious human rights problem.
``In any country, without exceptions, it is possible to improve the practical conditions for the exercise of human rights. So Cuba is not exempting itself,'' ministry spokesman Miguel Alfonso said.
News reports from Cuba noted that the Canadian agreement was the first time Havana had agreed to cooperate with another country on human rights -- a touchy topic for the government of President Fidel Castro.
Rejecting U.S. attempts to isolate Cuba and push it toward democratic reforms, Axworthy went to Cuba to press Canada's longtime policy of ``constructive engagement.''
State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns on Thursday called Axworthy a respected foreign minister and told reporters, ``We never questioned the wisdom of [his] trip. Canada makes its own decisions.''
But Burns added that there is no reason to believe the trip will make a significant difference.
``We don't believe Fidel Castro is about to turn into a democrat,'' he said.
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