Lord David Triesman has over 40 years’ experience working with Cuban leaders and their Ambassadors in London, strengthened when responsible for Anglo-Cuban relations as a Foreign Office Minister in the mid-2000s and deepened with time.

The development of such a trusted relationship with partners in-country, aided by a long term vision and presence, has allowed Salamanca Group to be part of the opening of Cuba to foreign investment.

Lord David Triesman is leading this initiative and his blog will provide a regular assessment of progress and opportunity as we create, together with the Cubans, a new financial hub.

If you are interested in subscribing to this blog or discussing Cuban opportunities in general, please email info@salamanca-group.com.

Our Group Director, Lord David Triesman gives his insight into the significantly different approaches to international relations with Cuba. With the first ever British Royal visit to the island happening against a backdrop of a potentially deepening embargo.

Our Group Director, Lord David Triesman was fortunate enough to spend almost a full day with the new Cuban President on his visit to the UK in November. What was originally scheduled as a stop-over developed into a significant visit for Diaz-Canel as the first ever Cuban President to visit the UK.

There are changes happening in Cuba. How significant we must wait and see, but with a non-Castro President appointed in April for the first time since their revolution in 1959 the tides are sure to be changing. The country needs, and wants, to welcome in foreign investment.

Any amount of reading is never a substitute for visiting a country in which you intend to do business. So this is a report on an 18 day visit to Cuba, to both Havana and the countryside. It was also a family visit, full of observations from family members for whom Cuba is a new experience.

Writing anything about Cuba in the past three months would have been a hard task. The death of Fidel Castro was thought to raise complex questions about continuity.   The election of Donald Trump – candidly an alarming event – meant that a tide of speculation erupted about every word he uttered.

After Hurricane Matthew sped through the Caribbean and up the USA’s East Coast, slamming into Haiti, Cuba and several American States, it is useful to contrast the effects in the different places. Of course, first there must be sympathy and help to those affected. And beyond that there are some hard lessons to learn.

In the working life of the UK Foreign Minister responsible for our relationship with the Americas and Caribbean there were few fixed dates in the year which came up with the regularity of Christmas Day. However, I could guarantee on about…

I have had a working relationship with Cuban leaders and their Ambassadors in London for the best part of 40 years. It became closer and always both frank and cordial when I had responsibility for Anglo-Cuban relations as a Foreign Office minister in the mid-2000s…