CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA May 29th, 1997 E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org The following items are taken from RADIO HAVANA CUBA's International Shortwave Service in English for Thursday May 29th, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO MEETS WITH VISITING JAMAICAN PRIME MINISTER PERCIVAL PATTERSON 2.- TOBACCO HARVEST: ON THE RIGHT TRACK. 3.- HAVANA'S GENERAL VICAR APPEARS ON CHILEAN TELEVISION. 4.- CUBA'S CUBANACAN TOURISM GROUP WILL INCREASE 10 FOLD INVESTMENTS IN CENTRAL CIENFUEGOS PROVINCE. 5.- CUBAN EXPERTS CONDUCT RESEARCH ON MONOCLONAL ANTI- BODIES TO DETECT PROSTATE CANCER. 6.- 1ST INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT AFTER BRAZIL'S EARTH SUMMIT WILL BE HELD IN HAVANA 7.- SPORTS NEWS ON TRACK AND FIELD AND BASEBALL CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO MEETS WITH VISITING JAMAICAN PRIME MINISTER PERCIVAL PATTERSON Havana, May 29(RHC)-- During the first full-day of his visit to the island, Jamaican Prime Minister Percival Patterson began bilateral talks with Cuban officials here in Havana. Cuban President Fidel Castro is leading the Cuban delegation at the talks. Earlier this morning, the Jamaican leader laid a floral wreath at the monument to Jose Marti in the Plaza de la Revolucion. An important delegation composed of legislators, political leaders and business representatives is accompanying Prime Minister Patterson and will hold discussions with their Cuban counterparts. During his five-day, official visit to Cuba, the Jamaican prime minister and his delegation will visit places of social and economic interest, including scientific institutions and the tourist resort at Varadero Beach. TOBACCO HARVEST: ON THE RIGHT TRACK. Havana, May 29(RHC)-- Cuban cigar makers have produced over forty million units so far this year. The results have paved the way for the fulfillment of the total production plan of a hundred million cigars in 1997. The information was made available Wednesday during the second session of the 7th Congress of Cuban Tobacco Workers in the westernmost province of Pinar del Rio. Tobacco workers union leaders have noted that no other economic sector is in a position to surpass or even match the growth in tobacco production. In 1996, the island produced 71 million units and for the year 2 000, production must surpass 200 million cigars. In related news, France's Tobacco Workers Union leader, Bertrand Paye, has expressed in Havana his solidarity with the Cuban people and recognized as positive measures undertaken locally to raise tobacco production. Paye heads a 17 French tobacco union delegation invited to the 7th Congress of Cuban Tobacco Workers currently underway in Pinar del Rio. HAVANA'S GENERAL VICAR APPEARS ON CHILEAN TELEVISION. Santiago de Chile, May 29(RHC)-- Havana's General Vicar, Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, said in Chile that despite current hardships, most Cubans feel deep respect and affection for leader Fidel Castro. In a national T.V appearance in Santiago de Chile, Vicar De Cespedes, blamed Washington's blockade and the collapse of the European socialist block for the island's present economic slump. Havana's Vicar said the Pope's visit to Cuba next January comes amid greater understanding and communication between the Cuban government and the Church. Pope John Paul II visit to the island -said the Cuban priest- will hopefully strengthen those relations and pointed to the Cuban revolution's social achievements, particularly in public health and education. CUBA'S CUBANACAN TOURISM GROUP WILL INCREASE 10 FOLD INVESTMENTS IN CENTRAL CIENFUEGOS PROVINCE. Havana, May 29(RHC)-- The tourism industry in Central Cienfuegos will benefit from investments by Cuba's largest tour group Cubanacan. Cubanacan executives said the group has plans to increase hotel capacity and the diversity of services. For that purpose, investments will increase 10 fold. Projects include the enlargement of the Faro de Luna Hotel and the recovery of the old Yatch Club which will be turned into a recreational complex with a swimming pool, tennis court, bar and marina facilities. Next August, CUBANACAN will mark its 10th anniversary with an accommodation capacity for 45 percent of the total of tourists travelling to the island. CUBAN EXPERTS CONDUCT RESEARCH ON MONOCLONAL ANTI-BODIES TO DETECT PROSTATE CANCER. Havana, May 29(RHC)-- Experts from the central Camaguey province could become the first in Cuba to diagnose prostate cancer with monoclonal antibodies. Camaguey's Biology and Immunology Research Center is conducting research aimed at obtaining four different modalities of diagnostic techniques. Local expert, Blanca Rosa Santana, told the press in Havana that the research process is based on a monoclonal antibody obtained in Camaguey, which is able to identify prostate cancer, the second cause of death among Cuban men. 1ST INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT AFTER BRAZIL'S EARTH SUMMIT WILL BE HELD IN HAVANA Havana, May 29(RHC)-- World environmentalists will meet in Havana for the first time after the Earth Summit. Organized by the local Ministry of Science, Technology, and the Environment and sponsored by a number of Cuban institutions, Cuba will host the 1st International Convention on the Environment and Development slated for September 16th to the 20th. The event will take place five years after the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and immediately following the United Nations special assembly for the evaluation of the international fulfillment of the Earth Summit's Agenda 21. The Havana meeting will facilitate discussions and exchange within the community of researchers, representatives of non-governmental organizations, officials and political on the themes like biological diversity and environmental protection policies. The convention is organized into nine different congresses covering environmental education, tourism and sustainable development, environmental quality control,planning and sustainable territorial organization FROM OUR SPORTS DESK TRACK AND FIELD Ostrava, May 29 (RHC)--Cuba's long jumper Ivan Pedroso is still undefeated this year and press reports indicate that he added another victory to his 1997 outdoors track season At a competition held Wednesday in Ostrava , in the Check Republic, Pedroso won in men's long jump with an 8.14 meter mark. Pedroso's previous presentation was in Granada, Spain, May 21st with an 8.32 meter jump. His best mark this season was 8.61 meters and he also managed to revalidate his indoor world title at the Paris meet. Another cuban also won at the Ostrava competition. Hurdle runner Anier Garcia, with 13.25 meters registered his best mark this season for men's 110 meter hurdles. Garcia defeated Slovak Igor Kovac with 13.34 and Collin Jackson from britain with 13.47 seconds. Regarding women;s results, local Daniela Bartova with a 4.2 9 meter jump dominated in women's pole vault and improved her own mark by one centimeter. Greek Katherina Koffa won in the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.21 seconds leaving behind Nigerian Chima Ajunwa and Jamaica's Melene Frazier. In men's sprint the winner was Nigerian Davidson Ezinwa with 10.12 seconds escorted by his fellow countryman Deji Alie and the US's Greg Sadler. BASEBALL Mexico City, May 29 (RHC)--The Cuban baseball movement does not contemplate the possibility that national players take part in professional leagues in Mexico, Puerto Rico or Venezuela. The technical director of the Cuban national team, Miguel Valdes rejected the possibility of turning the Cuban baseball series professional, and foreign players will not take part in local competitions, despite the green light given to professional players to enter amateur events organized by the international baseball association. Valdes is currently in Mexico along with 40 cuban baseball players for training. Valdes said that what we have to do and we are working on is in improving our pitching and coming up with a competitive schedule that suits our desire to upgrade our ability to play and face professional players. Valdes says if pros were approved, then Cuban players should also return to the Caribbean series. [c] 1997. 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