CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA November 14, 1997 rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following items are taking from Radio Havana Cuba's news service for Friday, November 14, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN DEFENSE MINISTER RAUL CASTRO TO BEGIN OFFICIAL VISIT TO CHINA 2.- CUBA RIDICULES US LEGAL PROCEEDINGS AGAINST CUBAN GOVERNMENT FOR THE DOWNING OF MIAMI-BASED PIRATE AIRCRAFT VIOLATING CUBAN AIRSPACE 3.- DUTCH LAW FIRM OPENS OFFICE IN HAVANA 4.- GERMAN DEPUTY FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER WILL VISIT CUBA 5.- LATIN AMERICAN LAWMAKERS CONVERGE IN HAVANA 6.- SUGAR INDUSTRY CONGRESS WINDS UP IN HAVANA WITH CALL FOR GREATER EFFICIENCY CUBAN DEFENSE MINISTER RAUL CASTRO TO BEGIN OFFICIAL VISIT TO CHINA Havana, November 14(RHC)-- Cuba's Defense Minister and Vice President of the Council of State, Raul Castro, has left for an official visit to China, at the invitation of that Asian country, and that will begin on Sunday. Cuba's Granma news daily said the visit comes in the framework of the frequent and fruitful exchanges between the two nations' leaders in the common struggle for their peoples' well-being and for the construction of socialism. Raul Castro is expected to meet with Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Prime Minister Li Peng, and Vice Prime Minister in charge of finances, Zhu Rongji. Rongji is one of the principal architects of China's economic reforms. CUBA RIDICULES US LEGAL PROCEEDINGS AGAINST CUBAN GOVERNMENT FOR THE DOWNING OF MIAMI-BASED PIRATE AIRCRAFT VIOLATING CUBAN AIRSPACE Havana, November 14(RHC)-- Cuba's Foreign Ministry has termed as arrogant the opening of trial proceedings on Thursday against the Cuban government for last year's downing of Miami-based pirate aircraft violating Cuban airspace. Foreign Ministry spokesman Miguel Alfonso said, nevertheless, that the move doesn't come as a surprise, since US courts in general, and Florida courts in particular have a long record of bias regarding anything related to Cuba. Alfonso also recalled that the trial is based on another US extraterritorial measure -- the 1996 Antiterrorism Law -- measures, he said, that have become the latest fashion in the US Congress. Following almost 2 years of warnings by the Cuban government concerning the violation of Cuba's airspace by the Miami-based organization Brothers to the Rescue, Cuban Migs shot down two of those aircraft in February of last year. Brothers to the Rescue had gone to the extent of buzzing Havana and dropping counterrevolutionary leaflets over the Cuban capital. At the time, many observers asked what would have been Washington's reaction had 2 Cuban aircraft buzzed Washington DC dropping anti-US government leaflets. Following the incident, the US government was unable to obtain a condemnation of Cuba in the International Civil Aviation Organization or in the United Nations Security Council. On numerous occasions in the Havana-Washington dispute, the Cuban government has asserted that if any country has a right to try another, it's Cuba -- citing the Cubans killed by US aircraft bombing Cuban sugarmills, oil refineries and other objectives during the 1960s -- just to name one example of the many acts of US aggression against Cuba that have cost numerous Cuban lives. DUTCH LAW FIRM OPENS OFFICE IN HAVANA Havana, November 14(RHC)-- The Dutch law firm Trenite Van Doorne has opened an office in Havana's Berroa Free Trade Zone. This is the first foreign law firm to open a branch on the island since 1959. In the opening ceremony, Dutch Ambassador in Havana, Eldred Maduro, stated that the presence of the law firm in Havana will facilitate fiscal and juridical attention to foreign companies established in Cuba. Trenite Van Doorne currently has offices in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague and Reijavik, as well as London, Tokyo and Warsaw. GERMAN DEPUTY FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER WILL VISIT CUBA Bonn, November 14(RHC)-- German Deputy Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Helmut Shaefer, will arrive in Cuba Sunday leading a delegation of business representatives. During the 3-day working visit, Shaefer will hold talks with Cuban authorities on foreign policy and economic and cultural relations, as well as on changes in the island's economy. Havana and Bonn are currently negotiating a bilateral accord for the strengthening of cultural relations. During his stay in Cuba, the German official will visit the Humboldt Foundation, recently opened in the Cuban capital and a German sponsored project on agricultural production. LATIN AMERICAN LAWMAKERS CONVERGE IN HAVANA Havana, November 14(RHC)-- Seven permanent commissions of the Latin American Parliament have been sessioning in Havana since Thursday. Over 140 lawmakers from 15 countries are in the Cuban capital to attend the discussions. The region's social situation, health care, malnutrition, violence , child prostitution, and tourism are some of the issues being examined by the legislations. Thursday's session was devoted to the analysis of social problems relating to youth and healthcare in the region. The session was presided over by Peruvian Maria Jesus Espinosa. Participants agreed that underemployment, child prostitution, illiteracy and drug-addiction are Latin American youth's most pressing problems. The meeting, which will conclude Saturday, precedes the Latin American Parliament annual meeting set for Brazil in December. This is the first time that so many permanent commissions have gathered in the same venue. SUGAR INDUSTRY CONGRESS WINDS UP IN HAVANA WITH CALL FOR GREATER EFFICIENCY Havana, November 14(RHC)-- The 47th Congress of Cuba's Association of Sugar experts wound up in Havana Thursday with a call for efficiency and a steady recovery of the island's prime industry. Speaking to the closing session, Vice Minister Gilberto Llerena said that Cuban sugar specialists will have to work hard to achieve reliable technological discipline to put the industry in tune with current technological concepts. During the event, newly appointed Sugar Industry Minister, General Ulises Rosales del Toro, said that only efficiency will recuperate sugar production. That efficiency, he said must be obtained in higher quality from planting to irrigation and fertilizing. The Cuban sugar industry was plunged into a severe slump after the collapse of socialism in Eastern Europe, and hit bottom during the 1994-1995 record low harvest of 3.3. million tons. The following harvest reported a slight increase of 4.45 million, but the numbers went down again in the last harvest. Estimates for the upcoming harvest, officially kicking off November 25, do not exceed 4 million tons,but island authorities are expecting to reverse the trend, and to achieve an average of 7 million-ton harvests in comming years. [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. For the complete RADIO HAVANA CUBA NEWSCAST and other features, please write for our daily broadcast schedule. We welcome your comments and suggestions. 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