CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA June 9, 1997 E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org The following items are taken from RADIO HAVANA CUBA's International Shortwave Service in English for Monday, June 9th, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER ROBERTO ROBAINA CONTINUES CENTRAL AMERICAN TOUR 2.- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TO HONOR CUBAN INTERNATIONALIST FIGHTER 3.- CHILE-CUBA SOLIDARITY GROUPS DONATE TOYS TO CUBAN CHILDREN 4.- URUGUAYAN BRIGADE WILL TRAVEL TO HAVANA TO CARRY OUT VOLUNTARY WORK IN CUBA 5.- MEXICO DONATES BOOKS TO CUBAN NATIONAL LIBRARY 6.- AVIATECA AIRLINES INAUGURATES NEW FLIGHTS FROM MEXICO CITY TO HAVANA 7.- DIRECT FLIGHTS FROM STOCKHOLM TO HAVANA INITIATED 8.- CHINA-CUBA INTERGOVERNMENTAL MEETING BEGINS IN BEIJING 9.- SECOND ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONAL CONFERENCE SLATED FOR THIS WEEK IN VIETNAM CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER ROBERTO ROBAINA CONTINUES CENTRAL AMERICAN TOUR San Jose, June 9(RHC)-- Cuban Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina is in Costa Rica, part of a tour of Central American countries. This morning, the top Cuban diplomat was in Panama, where he met with that country's president, Ernesto Perez Valladares. Over the weekend, Robaina visited Guatemala City and spoke with Guatemalan President Alvaro Arzu. On Monday, Costa Rican Foreign Minister Fernando Naranjo told reporters that during Robaina's stay in that Central American country, he will meet with top government officials, including Costa Rican President Jose Maria Figueres. The Cuban foreign minister is expected to visit several other Central American countries over the next several days. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TO HONOR CUBAN INTERNATIONALIST FIGHTER Santo Domingo, June 9(RHC)-- In the Dominican Republic, President Leonel Fernandez is preparing to award Dominican citizenship to a Cuban who, 38 years ago, participated in an armed operation to oust Dominican dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo from power. Cuban Gomez Ochoa arrived in Santo Domingo from Havana to receive the distinction next Saturday. Ochoa, along with 32 foreign internationalists and 103 Dominicans, landed on the northeastern Dominican coast on June 14th, 1959, just six months after the triumph of the Cuban Revolution. Upon his arrival in Santo Domingo, the Cuban internationalist spoke with local journalists, explaining that Cuba is going through difficult times. Ochoa said he didn't believe that Washington will lift its blockade of Cuba in the near future. He added that the struggle will have to continue for a long time before the United States realizes that it won't be able to destroy Cuba's socialist revolution. President Leonel Fernandez will also award pensions to the survivors of the guerrilla group and will declare June 14th as the Day of the Forerunners of Freedom. CHILE-CUBA SOLIDARITY GROUPS DONATE TOYS TO CUBAN CHILDREN Santiago de Chile, June 9(RHC)-- Chilean Solidarity with Cuba groups have donated toys to Cuban children, collected during campaigns carried out in Valparaiso, Santiago de Chile and other major cities of that South American nation. Cuba's Ambassador in Chile, Aramis Fuentes, thanked the groups on behalf of the Cuban people and government for their solidarity gesture. Fuente stressed the moral and political significance of this donation, at a time when Washington is trying to reinforce its blockade of the island. URUGUAYAN BRIGADE WILL TRAVEL TO HAVANA TO CARRY OUT VOLUNTARY WORK IN CUBA Montevideo, June 9(RHC)-- An Uruguayan brigade will travel to Cuba to do voluntary work. The 300-member brigade will work on agricultural projects on the outskirts of the Cuban capital. The Vice President of ICAP -- the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples -- Rolando Gonzalez, told journalists in Montevideo that the Cuban people deeply appreciate the efforts of their Uruguayan friends and look forward to welcoming them soon in Havana. MEXICO DONATES BOOKS TO CUBAN NATIONAL LIBRARY Havana, June 7(RHC)-- Mexico's Economic Culture Fund has donated over 100 books to Havana's National Science and Technology Library as part of a cooperation project of that publishing house. Specialists from Argentina, Venezuela and Chile -- defending the principle of putting science within reach of the majority -- participated in the project. The book donation was delivered during the First Iberoamerican Encounter of Science, Technology and the Environment, held here in Havana. AVIATECA AIRLINES INAUGURATES NEW FLIGHTS FROM MEXICO CITY TO HAVANA Havana, June 7(RHC)-- Mexico's AVIATECA Airlines has inaugurated two flights a week between Mexico and Havana, with a stop-over in Guatemala. According to AVIATECA representatives, these flights will contribute to the development of tourism in the Caribbean and will make it possible to offer tour operators a strategic advantage, as well as a unique experience for passengers. Cuba's Deputy Minister of Tourism, Miguel Brugueras, stressed the importance of the new multi-destination line, which will bring Mexico and Central America closer to Cuba. The Cuban official also said that this route is part of the agreements adopted by the recent Summit of the Association of Caribbean States, which has called for a improved regional integration. DIRECT FLIGHTS FROM STOCKHOLM TO HAVANA INITIATED Havana, June 9(RHC)-- The first direct-flight from Stockholm, Sweden, arrived at Cuba's Varadero beach resort Sunday. The flight, which covers the Copenhagen, Stockholm, Varadero route, is operated by the Danish airline Premiair, with a DC-10 jet and a capacity for 340 passengers. The operation is run by SLG or Scandinavian Leisure Group -- the largest group of tour operators in the Scandinavian countries. The group's owner is the British tour-operator AirGroup, which moves five million passengers annually. The direct flight from Stockholm will arrive at Varadero every other Sunday during the summer and will begin weekly operations beginning in November. While on the island, the Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, and Finish visitors will stay at Varadero and will tour several tour spots and regions, including Cuba's western-most province of Pinar del Rio, Havana, Guama, Playa Giron, Cienfuegos and Trinidad. According to the Scandinavian Leisure Group's area manager, Mattias Oresved, Cuba is "in-fashion" in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland and in Europe in general and that almost all seats for the summer have already been sold out. He also said that seats for the winter season are selling very well. Statistics from Cuba's Tourism Ministry show that during 1996, over 2000 Danish, 4000 Swedes and nearly 2000 Norwegian vacationers visited the island. CHINA-CUBA INTERGOVERNMENTAL MEETING BEGINS IN BEIJING Beijing, June 9(RHC)-- A China-Cuba intergovernmental meeting began today in Beijing. Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade Ricardo Cabrisas is now in the Chinese capital to attend the four-day encounter, which will focus on commercial links between the two nations, based on the exchange of Cuban sugar for food, medicines, and equipment for the Cuban sugar industry. SECOND ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONAL CONFERENCE SLATED FOR THIS WEEK IN VIETNAM Havana, June 9(RHC)-- Delegations from l8 countries have confirmed their participation at the 2nd Asia-Pacific Regional Conference, slated for June 12th through the 14th in Hanoi, Vietnam. According to the President of the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), Sergio Corrieri, the meeting will also have important significance for Cuban solidarity work. Corrieri said Asia-Cuba Friendship Associations will analyze aspects of U.S. policy towards Cuba, especially Washington's economic and commercial blockade against the island. [c] 1997. Radio Habana Cuba All rights reserved Articles cannot be reproduced, reprinted or published in any system without the consent of RHC. This prohibition includes the distribution of this material via Usenet News, "bulletin board" services, e-mail lists, print media, radio and television. 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