From radiohc@infomed.sld.cu Thu Apr 24 00:22:08 1997 Return-Path: radiohc@infomed.sld.cu Received: from infomed.sld.cu ([196.1.112.18]) by nyxfer.blythe.org (8.6.12/8.6.12) with SMTP id AAA08294 for ; Thu, 24 Apr 1997 00:22:01 -0400 Received: by infomed.sld.cu id AA26356 (5.67b/IDA-1.5); Thu, 24 Apr 1997 00:20:00 -0400 From: Jorge Ruiz Miyares Message-Id: <199704240420.AA26356@infomed.sld.cu> Subject: RHC news stories, April 23rd, 1997 To: reg.cuba@conf.igc.org Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 00:19:59 -0400 (EDT) Cc: nyt@blythe.org, cubaseccion@igc.apc.org Content-Type: text Content-Length: 11777 Status: O CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA Wednesday, April 23, 1997 The following items are taken from RADIO HAVANA CUBA's International Shortwave Service in English for Wednesday, April 23, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- GRENADIAN PRIME MINISTER KEITH MITCHELL TERMS OFFICIAL VISIT TO CUBA AS "HISTORIC" 2.- PASTORS FOR PEACE WILL FORGE AHEAD DESPITE THREATS 3.- CUBAN FOREIGN INVESTMENT AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION MINISTER CONTINUES OFFICIAL VISIT TO GERMANY 4.- WASHINGTON-BASED THINK-TANK CRITICAL OF U.S. FOREIGN POLICY 5.- IBEROAMERICAN CULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT ENCOUNTER SET FOR NEXT MONTH 6.- CUBAN NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENT VIES FOR AWARD AT INTERNATIONAL HEALTH FAIR IN HAVANA 7.- CUBAN PARLIAMENTARY PRESIDENT RICARDO ALARCON CALLS ON LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVES TO EXPOSE HELMS-BURTON LAW 8.- EUROPEAN UNION OFFERS HUMANITARIAN AID TO CUBA 9.- GERMAN TRAVEL AGENCIES MEET IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL GRENADIAN PRIME MINISTER KEITH MITCHELL TERMS OFFICIAL VISIT TO CUBA AS "HISTORIC" Havana, April 23(RHC)-- Grenadian Prime Minister Keith Mitchell wound up a five-day official visit to Cuba on Wednesday. Speaking with journalists before leaving the island, he described his visit as "historic." During the news conference at Havana's International Convention Center, Prime Minister Mitchell also expressed his country's appreciation to the Cuban people for what he termed as "the immense contribution and sacrifice Cubans made in the construction of the Point Salines International Airport and the overall assistance provided by Cuba to Grenada from 1979 through 1983" in the spheres of education and health care. "This appreciation might be late in coming," he said, "but timely." The Grenadian leader spoke with satisfaction of the bilateral agreements signed Tuesday to reactivate cooperation in the area of health care with the granting by Cuba of scholarships for Grenadian students to study medicine and the participation of Cuban specialists in agricultural development in Grenada. He also commended the revolution underway in Cuba in the fields of tourism, science and technology and stressed that it will be of great benefit to the entire Caribbean region. Asked by a U.S. journalist if he anticipated any negative reaction from Washington after his visit, Prime Minister Mitchell replied that he did not expect any hostility since the new ties between Cuba and Grenada not only respond to their common history, but "also to the urgent need of getting together to face the 21st century, amid current trends of globalization and the emergence of economic blocks, tendencies that bear no sympathy for small nations." During his visit, Grenadian Prime Minister extended an invitation to Cuban President Fidel Castro to pay an official visit to Grenada in July 1998, when his country will host a Caricom summit meeting. For his part, the Cuban President expressed Tuesday at the bilateral accords signing ceremony, that the newly signed agreements expressed both country's willingness to strengthen relations. He described Prime Minister Mitchell's visit as "very fruitful" and commended the Grenadian leader's courage to accept the invitation to visit Cuba, in spite of difficult and complex times, with renewed efforts to isolate the island. PASTORS FOR PEACE WILL FORGE AHEAD DESPITE THREATS Chicago, April 23(RHC)-- The U.S. religious-solidarity organization Pastors for Peace has reiterated its intention to deliver another caravan of humanitarian aid to Cuba, despite threats from a terrorist Cuban-American group. According to the local press in Los Angeles, California, the extremist organization Alpha 66 has promised to stop the humanitarian aid shipment "at any cost." Pastors for Peace Coordinator Peggy Hopson said Tuesday that her organization takes the threat seriously, but that they will continue in their efforts to bring medicine, toys, computers and other aid to the Cuban people. The Friendshipment Caravan is collecting humanitarian aid in numerous U.S. and Canadian cities. On May 14th, they plan to cross the border into Mexico from San Diego, California and simultaneously into Canada from Buffalo, New York. CUBAN FOREIGN INVESTMENT AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION MINISTER CONTINUES OFFICIAL VISIT TO GERMANY Bonn, April 23(RHC)-- The German Confederation of Industry asserted today that Cuba's economic development is exhibiting its first successes and that this, in turn, is promoting broader German-Cuban trade and investment relations. A Cuban delegation is currently in Germany, headed by Cuba's Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation Minister Ibrahim Ferradaz. Over the next several days, some 130 Cuban delegates and German business representatives will be discussing economic relations between the two countries -- a gathering that has reportedly sparked a great deal of interest within the German business community. The President of the German Confederation of Industry, Hans Olaf Henkel, expressed his appreciation for the information provided by Ferradaz concerning Cuba's 7.8 percent growth rate in 1996, the island's 3 percent inflation rate and the reduction of the public deficit. He also commented on new measures in Cuba such as the creation of duty-free zones and an industrial park which, said Henkel, will increase interest in the Cuban market. In April 1996, Cuba and Germany signed an investment protection and promotion accord. WASHINGTON-BASED THINK-TANK CRITICAL OF U.S. FOREIGN POLICY Washington, April 23(RHC)-- On the eve of U.S. President Bill Clinton's visit to Latin America -- scheduled for next month -- a U.S. think-tank has criticized Washington's policies toward the region. The Interamerican Dialogue released the report, blaming Washington for the present stalemate which exists between the U.S. and Latin America. According to the President of the Interamerican Dialogue, Peter Hakin, two aspects of U.S. foreign policy are the main obstacles to better relations with Latin America: its policy toward Cuba and the drug certification process. Hakin told reporters at a news conference on Capital Hill Wednesday that both policies are applied, in his words, "unilaterally and coercively." The head of the Washington-based think-tank emphasized that all countries of the region are opposed to decertifying and punishing those who do not live up to U.S. standards in the anti-drug war. He also strongly criticized Washington's policies toward Cuba, which he called "politically inflexible." The report issued by the Interamerican Dialogue charges that U.S. President Bill Clinton is acting in isolation with regard to his anti-Cuba policy and labelled it "counter-productive." The Interamerican Dialogue is composed of U.S. and Latin American politicians, former heads of state, diplomats and business representatives. IBEROAMERICAN CULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT ENCOUNTER SET FOR NEXT MONTH Havana, April 23(RHC)-- The Santa Clara Convent in Old Havana will be the site of the Second Iberoamerican Culture and Development Encounter, set for May 4th through the 9th. The event will be attended by 14 nations and will allow for the exchange of ideas and projects regarding Iberoamerican culture. The cultural meeting will also be attended by various personalities, including Brazilian Paulo Freire, considered the father of popular education in Latin America and the popular singer Sonia Silvestre who is working on an important cultural project in the Dominican Republic. CUBAN NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENT VIES FOR AWARD AT INTERNATIONAL HEALTH FAIR IN HAVANA Havana, April 23(RHC)-- A Cuban-made nutritional supplement called "Acitan" is competing with 40 other products for the Quality Award at the 8th International Health for All Fair. The fair is being held at Havana's PABEXPO Pavilion until Friday, the 25th. According to scientists at the LABIOFAM Laboratories where the supplement was developed, "Acitan" also has anti-cancer and anti-allergy properties. The medication has been successfully tested at the Pedro Borras Pediatric Hospital in the Cuban capital. CUBAN PARLIAMENTARY PRESIDENT RICARDO ALARCON CALLS ON LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVES TO EXPOSE HELMS-BURTON LAW Havana, April 23(RHC)-- The President of the Cuban Parliament, Ricardo Alarcon, has called on legislative representatives across the island to expose the Helms-Burton Law as a tool by the U.S. to destroy the Cuban Revolution. In a letter sent to the island's provincial and municipal parliament leaders, Alarcon reminded the lawmakers that Washington is trying to foster discontent. The leader of Cuba's legislature emphasized the importance of the Cuban Dignity and Sovereignty Reaffirmation Law and said that "there are enough machetes, rifles and fists to insure that Cuba will never be enslaved or turned into a U.S. colony." EUROPEAN UNION OFFERS HUMANITARIAN AID TO CUBA Havana, April 23(RHC)-- The Cuban representative of the European Union's Department for Humanitarian Aid, Joseph Vargas, told Radio Havana Cuba that the budget allocated for the island in 1997 stands at 9.6 million dollars. Vargas said the funds will be used to purchase food and basic products for the Cuban health care system. The European Union representative said that while the organization's aid is used in other countries to fight epidemics, hunger and strife -- in the case of Cuba, "it is a bridge of solidarity for the efforts made by the Cuban people to improve their people's well-being in spite of Washington's blockade." The European Union's Department for Humanitarian Aid has offered support to Cuba for four years now -- with a total of 60 million dollars in financial assistance. GERMAN TRAVEL AGENCIES MEET IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL Havana, April 23(RHC)-- The Fifth Congress of the German Travel Agencies and Tour Operators Association -- DRV -- kicked off in Havana Tuesday. After the opening speech, delivered by DRV President Gerd Hesselmann, the German tour operators and travel agents listened to lectures by Cuban tour experts, including talks on Cuban-German economic relations. Concerning the importance of tourism for the Cuban economy, the President of Cuba's Fintur financial tourist agency, Gumersindo Gonzalez, revealed that Cuba expects to bring in nearly four billion dollars in tourism by the year 2000 and will welcome two and a half million visitors by that same year. During Wednesday's session, the German tour operators and travel agents will discuss the importance of Cuba as a tourist destination in the Caribbean and ways to promote Cuban-German tourism. According to the President of DRV, Gerb Hesselman, this Fifth Congress in Havana is aimed at bringing together Cuban and German tour agencies to explore ways of increasing business between the two countries. The congress will run through Friday, the 25th. For the complete RADIO HAVANA CUBA NEWSCAST and other features, please write for our daily broadcast schedule. We welcome your comments and suggestions. Postal Address: Radio Havana Cuba, P.O. Box 6240 Havana, Cuba Telephone: (53) (7) 791053 Fax: (53) (7) 795007