HAVANA (CNN) - Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien
                      made a personal appeal Monday to Cuba President Fidel
                      Castro for the release of four dissidents imprisoned since July
                      1997.

                      Chretien, on the first visit by a Canadian government leader to
                      Cuba since 1976, made the appeal during a 2 1/2 hour meeting
                      with Castro. The imprisoned dissidents also have been championed
                      by international human rights groups, the Vatican and European Union nations.

                      Marta Roque, one of the four prisoners arrested after calling for
                      multi-party elections, is reportedly very ill and in need of medical
                      treatment.

                      Chretien said Castro, who did not look pleased, defended Cuba's
                      legal system but took the list of dissidents saying he would consider
                      their release. Chretien said he doubted Castro would be calling for
                      free elections "next week."

                      Jose Cardenas of the Cuban American National Foundation speaking on
                      CNN's Insight called Chretien's efforts political and said, "Fidel Castro still treats
                      Cuban people, in this case Cuban dissidents, as barter for concession from foreign
                      capitalist."

                      Canadian businesses continue to make their mark in Cuba by
                      investing in communication, mining and tourism. Canadians are the
                      number one tourist group to visit the beautiful stretch of beaches
                      and modern hotels just hours from Havana. Cuba's new
                      international airport was built with a $38 million loan from Canada.

                      In contrast to Washington's policy of isolating Havana, Chretien says Canada
                      is leading the way towards constructive engagement with Havana as a method of
                      promoting reform in the last socialist country in the Western Hemisphere.

                      In a move to show the effectiveness of Canada's openness, Cuba
                      agreed to a $9 million payment to a Canadian insurance company
                      in compensation for assets confiscated after the revolution. The
                      deal is meant to send a message to businesses and to Washington
                      that negotiation rather than confrontation is the profitable way to
                      deal with Cuba.

                      Castro, in welcoming Chretien to Cuba Sunday, called the U.S.
                      embargo a "great crime" and suggested the U.S. government
                      should be taken to an international court of law to stand trial on
                      war crimes charges.

                      White House spokesman Mike McCurry said that Fidel Castro is
                      "woefully" out of touch with history and suggested the Cuban
                      leader is suffering from "Castro-enteritis."

                      Despite Cuba's human rights record and Washington's policy of
                      isolation, Canadians continue to see Cuba as an island of
                      opportunity.

                      "I think many Canadians feel the way to engage Cuba is to trade
                      with it," says Andrew Cohen of the Canadian newspaper, The
                      Globe and Mail. "The human rights record of Cuba is not as bad a
                      lot of other places with which the U.S. trades."