CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following items are taken from Radio Havana Cuba's news service for Wednesday, April 1, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- SPAIN TO DESIGNATE NEW AMBASSADOR TO CUBA ON THURSDAY 2.- CUBA'S NATIONAL AQUARIUM DISTRIBUTES CHILDREN'S BOOKS 3.- INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON ERNEST HEMINGWAY UNDERWAY 4.- TURKEY'S UNDER SECRETARY OF FOREIGN RELATIONS VISITS CUBA 5.- AIR FRANCE TO BEGIN DIRECT FLIGHTS FROM PARIS TO HAVANA 6.- CANADA DONATES OVER THREE THOUSAND TONS OF VEGETABLE OIL 7.- CUBA TAKES PART IN FIRST INTERNATIONAL FAIR IN NICARAGUA SPAIN TO DESIGNATE NEW AMBASSADOR TO CUBA ON THURSDAY Madrid, April 1(RHC)-- Spanish President Jose Maria Aznar announced that his government will designate a new ambassador to Cuba on Thursday. Aznar said that Cuba has given its placet to career diplomat Eduardo Junco. Cuba's Foreign Ministry announced today that all moves towards normalization are positive. In 1996, shortly after Aznar's election as president of Spain, Cuba withdrew its approval of Madrid's designation of Jose Coderch as its diplomatic representative in Havana. The move was to protest statements by Coderch to the effect that his priority as Spain's ambassador in the Cuban capital would be to open his embassy's doors to the island's so-called `dissidents.' Since that time, Aznar has come under heavy-fire from Spain's opposition parties for refusing to designate another ambassador to a country with which Madrid has traditionally maintained good relations. CUBA'S NATIONAL AQUARIUM DISTRIBUTES CHILDREN'S BOOKS Havana, April 1(RHC)-- Cuba's National Aquarium has begun the distribution of 5000 books on the sea and marine wildlife. The project is supported by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO -- which has dedicated 1998 as the Year of the Oceans. With beautiful illustrations of marine wildlife, formation of the seas and the mystery of waves, the new book will teach Cuban children how to value and protect the environment. The book's publication is also sponsored by the National Program of Environmental Education, the inter-governmental Oceanographic Commission and Cuba's National Aquarium. The island's national aquarium, which was founded in 1960, not only exhibits thousands of marine wildlife but also develops an educational program aimed mainly at Cuban youth. INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON ERNEST HEMINGWAY UNDERWAY Havana, April 1(RHC)-- Today marks an important anniversary in world literature. Seventy years ago on this date -- April Fool's Day in the United States -- U.S. writer Ernest Hemingway visited Cuba for the first time. To commemorate that 1928 event, Cuban, Spanish and U.S. Hemingway scholars, experts and enthusiasts gathered Wednesday at the historic Havana hotel where Hemingway lived off-and-on for 30 years in Room 511. The recently renovated Ambos Mundos Hotel was one of various sites for a seminar that got underway Tuesday, entitled "Hemingway Discovers Havana." The meeting is sponsored by the Hemingway Chair of Cuba's Jose Marti International Journalism Institute. The curator of Hemingway's Havana residence, La Vigia Estate, explained that Hemingway's first visit to Cuba 70 years ago today, was simply a stop-over as the U.S. writer sailed from France to Key West with his pregnant wife, Pauline. The next day, he sailed on to Key West. But he would return to Cuba to write one of his most famous novels -- "The Old Man and the Sea." The company chose the Ambos Mundos Hotel because of its proximity to the port. The International Seminar "Hemingway Discovers Havana" runs throughway Friday. Thursday's activities will be held at the Jose Marti National Library. And Friday, events will be held at the La Vigia Hemingway Museum. The meeting closes at the La Floridita, one of Hemingway's favorite haunts. TURKEY'S UNDER SECRETARY OF FOREIGN RELATIONS VISITS CUBA Havana, April 1(RHC)-- Turkey's Under Secretary of Foreign Relations, Kormaz Jaktanie, is in Cuba for a three-day working visit at the invitation of Cuba's Foreign Ministry. The Turkish official is expected to meet with Cuba's Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina. Both officials are also expected to discuss an exchange accord at the foreign ministry level, foreign investments, economic, cooperation, foreign trade and tourism. Cuba and Turkey established diplomatic relations 16 years ago and in 1997, both sides signed a mutual investment protection accord. AIR FRANCE TO BEGIN DIRECT FLIGHTS FROM PARIS TO HAVANA Paris, April 1(RHC)-- The French airlines Air France will inaugurate direct flights between Paris and Havana on April 21st. On that date, Air France will fly non-stop to Havana once a week. Until now, Air France made a stop-over in the French Antilles before arriving in the Cuban capital. CANADA DONATES OVER THREE THOUSAND TONS OF VEGETABLE OIL Havana, April 1(RHC)-- Canada's ambassador in Havana, Keith Cristi, has announced a donation of 3627 tons of vegetable oil as part of a bilateral humanitarian food program. Cristi said that this program, valued at over three million dollars for the 1997-98 period, establishes cooperation with Cuba in a constructive manner in numerous sectors. CUBA TAKES PART IN FIRST INTERNATIONAL FAIR IN NICARAGUA Managua, April 1(RHC)-- Cuba's business attache in Nicaragua, Damian Arteaga, announced that 19 Cuban firms participated in the recently concluded First International Business Fair which took place in this Central American nation. The Cuban diplomat said that the event also served to gather together a group of Central American business representatives to take part in the 7th Expo-Caribbean Fair, which will be held in Santiago de Cuba from June 21st to the 28th. [c] 1998, 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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