CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA November 20, 1997 rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following items are taking from Radio Havana Cuba's news service for Thursday, November 20, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- CUBA-CARICOM COMMISSION WILL MEET IN CUBA IN EARLY DECEMBER 2.- VATICAN ANNOUNCES PROGRAM OF POPE JOHN PAUL II DURING HIS VISIT TO CUBA 3.- LEBANESE FOREIGN MINISTER ZAFER AL HASSAN ARRIVES IN CUBA AS GERMAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER HELMUT SCHAFER WRAPS UP A TOUR OF THE ISLAND 4.- DHL AND CARACOL TOURIST SHOP FIRM JOIN IN MAIL SALES BUSINESS 5.- DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION MEETS CUBAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN INVESTMENT AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION 6.- SPECIALISTS TO EVALUATE RECOVERY PATH OF CUBAN ECONOMY AND SOCIALISM ON THE ISLAND 7.- PRESIDENT OF CUBAN PARLIAMENT IN FRANCE TO ATTEND CONGRESS OF FRENCH SOCIALISTS CUBA-CARICOM COMMISSION WILL MEET IN CUBA IN EARLY DECEMBER Havana, November 20(RHC)-- Cuba's Prensa Latina news agency reported Thursday that a Cuba-CARICOM commission will gather in Havana from December 1st to the 3rd. Citing sources from the organizing committee, PL said that this will be the 4th such gathering since the commission was established in December, 1993, and the 2nd in Havana since the 1995 meeting. Top on the agenda will be measures to advance in the development of maritime transportation in favor of interregional commerce, as well as human resources. Dozens of youths from the 14 CARICOM nations have been able to receive training in Cuba in diverse specialties due to Cuba-CARICOM agreements. Among the personalities who will be in Havana for the gathering is CARICOM Secretary General Edwin Carrington as well as high-level government officials. This year Havana has received the visits of various Prime Ministers from the region, Percival Paterson from Jamaica, Keith Mitchel from Grenada, and of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, James Mitchell. 1997 also saw visits to Havana of Foreign Ministers Clement Rohee of Guyana, and Fritz Longchamps, of Haiti. Last August, CARICOM issued a joint declaration rejecting the threats of US congressional representatives, who said the regional organization would suffer reprisals from Washington if Cuba is admitted as a member. Next December's gathering will come just days before the 25th anniversary of the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Barbados. VATICAN ANNOUNCES PROGRAM OF POPE JOHN PAUL II DURING HIS VISIT TO CUBA Rome, November 20(RHC)-- The Vatican officially announced Thursday the general program of Pope John Paul II's pastoral visit to Cuba next January. The Vatican's press center said the Pope will be in Cuba from January 21st to the 25th, and will visit four cities on the island. He will leave from the Fiumicino airport on the 21st in a 12 hour flight directly to Havana. On the 22nd, Pope John Paul II will fly from Havana to Santa Clara, in central Cuba, and that same day will return to Havana. On the 23rd, he will travel to Camaguey and return to the Cuban capital the same day. On the 24th, his destination will be easterly Santiago de Cuba, also returning to Havana the same day. On the 25th, Pope John Paul II will begin his journey back to Italy, to arrive mid-day Monday, the 26th. The Vatican's press center said the details of the Pope's program will be made public soon. LEBANESE FOREIGN MINISTER ZAFER AL HASSAN ARRIVES IN CUBA AS GERMAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER HELMUT SCHAFER WRAPS UP A TOUR OF THE ISLAND Havana, November 20(RHC)-- On the local diplomatic front, Lebanese Foreign Minister Zafer Al Hassan arrived today in Havana for a 4 day visit. The Lebanese official said that his main objective was to identify those areas where Cuba and Lebanon can intensify cooperation and trade, and that he brought a message of solidarity from the Lebanese people and government. At the same time, Germany's Deputy Foreign Minister, Helmut Schafer, wrapped up a 5 day visit to Cuba terming as positive and fruitful his gathering Thursday evening with Cuban President Fidel Castro. He said both agreed on issues concerning bilateral cooperation and the necessity to strengthen ties between the European Union and Latin America, including Cuba. DHL AND CARACOL TOURIST SHOP FIRM JOIN IN MAIL SALES BUSINESS Havana, November 20(RHC)-- The international mail carrier DHL and the Cuban firm Caracol, which operates one of the largest dollar shop chains on the island, have signed a contract to begin a mail-shopping service. According to Granma International weekly, customers in Cuba or abroad will be able to order products from the Caracol Shops catalogue and have them delivered by DHL. DHL Havana Sales Executive, Lourdes Lopez, said that the international firm is attracted by this new business opportunity. Emiliano Morales, Executive of Caracol Shops, told Granma International Weekly that his company expects to finish 1997 with sales exceeding 70 million dollars, with 20 million in net profits. Caracol currently operates some 500 shops all over the island, and is expected to open 20 more next year. DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION MEETS CUBAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN INVESTMENT AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION Havana, November 20(RHC)-- Jesus Seade, Deputy Director General of the World Trade Organization met with Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation Minister Ibrahim Ferradaz Wednesday. Seade, who is visiting Havana on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Havana Charter, the instrument that led to the foundation of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade -GATT-, spoke with Minister Ferradaz about the US blockade against Cuba and the effects of the US anti-Cuba Helms Burton legislation. The visiting official from the World Trade Organization, an entity created three years ago to replace GATT, told Cuban television news that despite obstacles and difficulties, Caribbean and Latin American trade has progressed, and that Cuba is successfully attracting foreign investors. The WTO Deputy Director General will stay in Havana until Saturday and will offer a master lecture on Cuba's perspectives within the international organization and the role of trade in development efforts. SPECIALISTS TO EVALUATE RECOVERY PATH OF CUBAN ECONOMY AND SOCIALISM IN CUBA Havana, November 20(RHC)-- Cuban socialism, transformations and recovery is the main topic to be covered next week in a meeting sponsored by the Cuban Association of Economists and Havana University. The gathering will facilitate exchange among professors, researches and specialists on Cuba's economic mechanisms, finances, control versus efficiency, and the training of specialists, among other issues. The event, which will be held to mark the 35th anniversary of the Economic Studies Chair of Havana University, will also analyze the Resolution on the Economy, approved by the 5th Party of the Cuban Communist Party held last October. The document maps out strategies for the island's economic recovery into the next millennium PRESIDENT OF CUBAN PARLIAMENT IN FRANCE TO ATTEND CONGRESS OF FRENCH SOCIALISTS Havana, November 20(RHC)-- The President of the Cuban Parliament and Member of the Political Bureau of the Cuban Communist Party, Ricardo Alarcon went to France Monday to represent Cuba in the upcoming Congress of the French Socialist Party. The island delegation is also made up of Cuba's Ambassador to Paris, Raul Roa Kouri. The Congress will run from November 21st through the 23rd. in the city of Brest. [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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