TORONTO – Canada hosted about seven meetings between the U.S. and Cuba that helped lead to President Barack Obama's announcement that the two countries will establish full diplomatic relations.
A senior Canadian government official said Wednesday that Canada did not play a role in the discussions but did host the meetings from 2013 to 2014. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly about the meetings.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement congratulating the two countries on their agreement. Harper said "Canada was pleased to host the senior officials from the United States and Cuba, which permitted them the discretion required to carry out these important talks."
Senior Obama administration officials said Canada was "indispensable" in hosting the majority of the secret talks.
