Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit 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, December 2, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT PRESIDES OVER THE LATIN AMERICAN ECONOMIC SYSTEM MEETING TAKING PLACE IN HAVANA 2.- CUBAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND VATICAN EXPRESS SATISFACTION WITH PROPOSAL TO MAKE DECEMBER 25th A NATIONAL HOLIDAY 3.- ZAMBIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WINDS UP VISIT TO CUBA 4.- EUROPEAN UNION'S HUMANITARIAN AID OFFICE SAYS CUBA MAKES GOOD USE OF MATERIAL ASSISTANCE 5.- UNITED NATIONS RESIDENT COORDINATOR SAYS CUBA IS ONE OF THE COUNTRIES WITH FEWEST AIDS PATIENTS CUBAN PRESIDENT PRESIDES OVER THE LATIN AMERICAN ECONOMIC SYSTEM MEETING TAKING PLACE IN HAVANA Havana, December 2(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro inaugurated the International Panel on Latin American and Caribbean Foreign Relations during the ministerial meeting of the Latin American Economic System (SELA), currently taking place at Havana's International Convention Center. The Cuban leader told representatives of the 28 member nations and guests that it is an honor for Havana to be hosting this regional event and praised SELA for its willingness to cooperate with the region. He added that despite its few resources, SELA could gather great ideas needed in today's world. Among some of the participants addressing the gathering are the former prime minister of Barbados, Harold Bernard Saint John, CEPAL's Executive Secretary Jose Antonio Ocampo, and the former finance minister of Japan, Makoto Utsumi. The ministerial phase of SELA's Executive Council will run until Thursday. The participants are also expected to discuss the Permanent Secretariat Annual Report. During Tuesday's sessions, the Director General of the Costa Rican Foreign Ministry's Policy Office, Oscar Alvarez, said that SELA's work group -- which promotes aid to affected nations -- urged international lending institutions to forgive the foreign debt of Honduras and Nicaragua, both seriously affected by Hurricane Mitch. Alvarez added that Cuba's decision to cancel Nicaragua's debt was considered very positive by SELA. The Costa Rican official pointed out that SELA will do all it can to aid the Central American nations affected by Hurricane Mitch. CUBAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND VATICAN EXPRESS SATISFACTION WITH PROPOSAL TO MAKE DECEMBER 25th A NATIONAL HOLIDAY Havana, December 2(RHC)-- Cuba's Catholic Church has expressed its satisfaction with the Cuban Communist Party Political Bureau's proposal to make December 25th -- Christmas Day -- a national holiday. The Undersecretary of Cuba's Catholic Bishop's Conference, Jose Felix Perez Riera, told national and foreign journalists that religious people are happy with the decision and denied that the proposal was due to any internal or external pressure against Cuban authorities. Meanwhile, the spokeperson for the Vatican, Joaquin Navarro Vals, said that the Vatican is also pleased with the Cuban government's decision to make December 25th a holiday. ZAMBIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WINDS UP VISIT TO CUBA Havana, December 2(RHC)-- Zambia's Foreign Minister Keli Walubita has wound up an official visit to Cuba, aimed at analyzing bilateral relations with the island. During his stay on the island, the Zambian foreign minister met with his Cuban counterpart, Roberto Robaina, and with Political Bureau member Jose Ramon Balaguer. The African leader also met with Cuba's acting Health Minister, Abelardo Ramirez, as well as Sugar Ministry official, Alfredo Hondal. Both sides discussed a Cuban medical brigade which will include 40 doctors and three sugar technicians to visit Zambia as part of the cooperation agreements. EUROPEAN UNION'S HUMANITARIAN AID OFFICE SAYS CUBA MAKES GOOD USE OF MATERIAL ASSISTANCE Havana, December 2(RHC)-- An official of the European Union's Humanitarian Aid Office, Jose Rivas Roca, characterized Cuba's use of EU donations over the past five years as highly positive. The European Union official said that plans to contribute in maintaining the achievements of the island's health care system include all 14 Cuban provinces and health centers, including social institutions. Jose Rivas Roca stated that, following an analysis with the Cuban government, among the priorities are medicines, food and surgical materials. Since 1994, Cuba has received aid from the European Union amounting to some 70 million dollars. UNITED NATIONS RESIDENT COORDINATOR SAYS CUBA IS ONE OF THE COUNTRIES WITH FEWEST AIDS PATIENTS Havana, December 2(RHC)-- Cuba is one of the countries with the fewest AIDS patients in the world, according to the resident coordinator of the United Nations, Ariel Francais, on the occasion of World AIDS Day on Tuesday. The date was commemorated in Havana with the inauguration of the National Center for the Prevention and Control of Transmittable Diseases as part of the Cuban government's efforts to confront the epidemic and guarantee an improved quality of life for HIV patients on the island. A United Nations report reveals that so far this year, worldwide, 33 million 400,000 people have been infected with the AIDS virus and that those between the ages of 15 to 24 years of age are the most affected. [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. For further information, contact us at: Postal Address: Radio Havana Cuba P.O.Box 6240 Havana, Cuba Telephone: (53) (7) 791053 Fax: (53) (7) 795007 E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org WWW: http://www.radiohc.org