CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA December 12, 1997 rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following items are taken from Radio Havana Cuba's news service for Friday, December 12, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PARLIAMENT'S PERMANENT COMMISSIONS MEETING TODAY 2.- CUBA AND EGYPT SEEK TO STRENGTHEN BILATERAL TIES 3.- POLISH BUSINESS MISSION EXPLORES OPPORTUNITIES ON THE ISLAND 4.- RUSSIA SEEKS TO REACTIVATE TRI-LATERAL ACCORD WITH VENEZUELA TO SUPPLY OIL TO CUBA 5.- CUBAN AND MEXICAN EDUCATION MINISTERS MEET IN THE MEXICAN CAPITAL 7.- ONE MILLION 200,000 TOURISTS WILL VISIT CUBA THIS YEAR 8.- CUBAN FRIENDSHIP INSTITUTE MARKS 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CUBA AND ITS EMIGRES 9.- 19th FESTIVAL OF NEW LATIN AMERICAN FILM ENDS IN HAVANA CUBAN PARLIAMENT'S PERMANENT COMMISSIONS MEET TODAY Havana, December 12(RHC)-- The Permanent Commissions of the National Assembly of Peoples Power met at Havana's Conference Center Friday, prior to the national parliament's ordinary session scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday. The commissions discussed issues pertaining to defense and foreign affairs, constitutional and juridical affairs and children and women's rights. Meanwhile, the Commission on Health and the Environment reviewed work in the area over the past five years. During the 4th Legislature, which began in 1993, laws on general health and on the environment were passed by the legislative body. The 10th Ordinary Session of the 4th Legislature winds up one of the most crucial moments of contemporary Cuban lawmaking. The so-called "Parliament of the Special Period" had the responsibility to pass legislation to bail the country out of the economic crisis. The legislation include the Taxation and Foreign Investment Laws. The parliament also gave its approval to a host of measures to curb the excess circulation of Cuban national currency that developed during the first cycle of the crisis. General elections are scheduled for Sunday, January 11th. Cuban voters will elect 1192 delegates to provincial assemblies and 601 deputies to the Cuban parliament. CUBA AND EGYPT SEEK TO STRENGTHEN BILATERAL TIES Havana, December 12(RHC)-- Egyptian Deputy Foreign Minister Mustafa al Diwani arrived in Cuba Friday for a three-day official visit. According to the Egyptian visitors's program, Al Diwani will meet with high-ranking Cuban Foreign Ministry officials and visit sites of historic interest in the Cuban capital. The Egyptian Deputy Foreign Minister's visit, which winds up Monday, seeks to strengthen relations between the two countries. POLISH BUSINESS MISSION EXPLORES OPPORTUNITIES ON THE ISLAND Havana, December 12(RHC)-- A delegation made up of representatives from eight Polish enterprises will arrive in Cuba tomorrow, Saturday, in order to explore investment opportunities. The First Secretary of the Polish Embassy in Havana told reporters that the delegation is made up of 16 business executives and is in response to Poland's interest in promoting bilateral trade exchange. The mission will particularly focus on Cuban pharmaceutical products, food, cosmetics and textiles. In return, the delegation will brief their Cuban counterparts on Polish chemical and steel products, equipment, tires and construction materials. The Polish entrepreneurs will also explore opportunities to invest in the island's mining industry. The Director for the Americas of the Polish Foreign Ministry visited the island recently to review existing relations between the two countries. According to the Polish diplomat, the visit comes on the heels of agreements reached at the first Poland-Latin America Economic Forum held two weeks ago in Warsaw, the Polish capital. RUSSIA SEEKS TO REACTIVATE TRI-LATERAL ACCORD WITH VENEZUELA TO SUPPLY OIL TO CUBA Caracas, December 12(RHC)-- Russia is negotiating with Venezuela for the resumption of a triangular trade agreement to supply oil to Cuba next year. According to Russian First Vice-President Boris Nemtsov, currently visiting that South American country, Venezuela would supply some one million tons of oil to Cuba, while Russia would do the same for Venezuela's customers in Europe. The agreement had been suspended after the collapse of the former Soviet Union. The accord offered important savings for Venezuela, Russia and Cuba due to the elimination of high shipping costs. CUBAN AND MEXICAN EDUCATION MINISTERS MEET IN THE MEXICAN CAPITAL Mexico City, December 12(RHC)-- Mexican Public Education Secretary Miguel Limon met in Mexico City with Cuban Education Minister Luis Ignacio Gomez to exchange views on bilateral relations in the area of education. The Mexican Education Ministry issued a statement revealing that the two officials agreed to hold the Bilateral Mixed Commission for Educational and Cultural Cooperation in Mexico City from March 9th through the 11th next year. At the gathering, education representatives from the two countries are scheduled to review and increase juridical instruments to expand cooperation in the sphere. At the end of the meeting, the two ministers stressed the importance of bilateral agreements on the mutual recognition of studies and senior high school and university diplomas. They also stressed the need to look for other academic and cultural formulas to broaden educational relation between Mexico and Cuba. ONE MILLION 200,000 TOURISTS WILL VISIT CUBA THIS YEAR Havana, December 12(RHC)-- A Cuban Tourism Ministry source says that one million 200,000 foreign tourists will have visited Cuba by the end of this year -- 20 percent more than in 1996. Some 1,000,4336 foreign visitors toured the Caribbean island last year. That number of international tourists will have generated revenues worth 1.75 billion dollars in 1997. As of November 15th, one million people had visited the island. Havana ranks as the island's main tourist destination with 55 percent of the tourists coming to the country -- followed by Varadero beach resort, located 120 kilometers east of Havana. Vacationers come mainly from Italy, Canada, Spain, France and Germany. CUBAN FRIENDSHIP INSTITUTE MARKS 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CUBA AND ITS EMIGRES Havana, December 12(RHC)-- The Cuban Institute of Friendship with the People -- ICAP -- is sponsoring a conference this month to mark the 20th anniversary of the first meeting between Cuban authorities and Cuban emigres. The head of ICAP's Cuban Emigres Department, Juan Carlos Marcial, said that the forum will take place in Havana from December 19th through the 22nd, attended by representatives of various Cuban organizations abroad and Cuban emigres residing in the United States. Marcial noted that the forum will present lectures on the origin of progressive groups within the Cuban Community in the United States, anti-Cuba initiatives introduced in the U.S. Congress and Cubans as an immigrant minority in the United States. Organizations such as the Alliance of Cuban Workers, Casa de las Americas of New York, the Antonio Maceo Brigade, the San Carlos Club in Key West and others will take part in the event. Participants will also be briefed on the island's current situation, including issues such as democracy and elections, as well as the Cuban economy and its prospects. At the conclusion of the forum, participants will travel to the central city of Santa Clara, where they'll pay tribute to legendary Heroic Guerrilla Ernesto Che Guevara and his comrades-in-arms at the mausoleum dedicated to them. They'll also visit sites related to Che's life there. December 22nd marks the 20th anniversary of the first encounter between the Cuban government and Cuban emigres. That meeting in 1977 was organized by the Antonio Maceo Brigade. 19th FESTIVAL OF NEW LATIN AMERICAN FILM ENDS IN HAVANA Havana, December 12(RHC)-- Argentina was the big winner with 13 Coral prizes in Havana's 19th Festival of New Latin American Film. Among the South American nation's Coral Awards was First and Second place in the feature- length fiction category. Argentinean Adolfo Aristarain, well-known to the Cuban public for his "Time of Revenge," and "A Place in the World," won a Coral this year with "Martin H" for Best Direction and Best Actress, Cecilia Roth. Although "Paradise Ashes" by Argentinean Marcelo Pinyero was extremely popular with the public, it was not among the big winners. However its screenplay by Aida Bortnik did win a Coral, along with the film's musical score, composed by Osvaldo Montes. The big surprise was Argentinean Alejandro Maci with his film, "The Imposter," based on a story by Silvina Ocampo, which took second place in the full-length fiction category. The director's first film also won Corals for Art Direction and Cinematography. The documentary "Evita, A Tomb Without Peace," by Tristan Bauer, also of Argentina, won the first place Coral award. A moving documentary called "El Dia que me Quieras," based on interviews with the photographer who took the famous picture of Ernesto Che Guevara following his execution in Valle Grande, Bolivia, took the Coral for Best Experimental Work. In recent years, Mexico has been the country that has dominated the Festival with titles like "The Beginning and the End," "The Garden of Eden," "Miracle Alley" and "Profundo Carmesi," among others. The official Coral awards ceremony took place this evening at Havana's Karl Marx Theater. [c] 1997. Radio Habana Cuba All rights reserved Articles cannot be reproduced, reprinted or published in any system without the consent of RHC. 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