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 Thursday, February 26, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER ROBERTO ROBAINA SAYS CUBA WILL CONTINUE CHANGING, BUT ONLY TO DEFEND AND STRENGTHEN THE REVOLUTION 2.- CANADA AND CARICOM SUPPORT CUBA'S REGIONAL INTEGRATION 3.- CUBA AND MEXICO SIGN NEW BANK AGREEMENT 4.- CUBA MARKS 145th ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF FATHER FELIX VARELA 5.- SPANISH SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY LEADER, JOAQUIN ALMUNIA, VISITS CUBA 6.- CUBA WILL PUBLISH ITS FIRST GEOGRAPHIC DICTIONARY 7.- CUBAN CD WINS GRAMMY AWARD CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER ROBERTO ROBAINA SAYS CUBA WILL CONTINUE CHANGING, BUT ONLY TO DEFEND AND STRENGTHEN THE REVOLUTION Mexico City, February 26(RHC)-- Cuban Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina stated late Thursday that Cuba will continue changing, but only to defend and strengthen the Revolution. During a brief stop-over in Mexico City following his first official visit to Guatemala, Robaina said the re-election of Fidel Castro as President of the Republic "represents the continuity of a political system" that the Cuban people are not going to scrap. Also in reference to Fidel's re-election, the Cuban foreign minister said that changes in Cuba are not associated with the ratification of individuals in their respective posts, but rather with a process that began with the triumph of the Cuban Revolution 39 years ago. During the stop-over, Robaina held his first encounter with Mexican Foreign Secretary Rosario Green, who was recently appointed to the post. The two officials discussed the 7th Cuba-Mexico Intergovernmental Commission gathering to be held in Havana next June. CANADA AND CARICOM SUPPORT CUBA'S REGIONAL INTEGRATION Georgetown, February 26(RHC)-- Canada and the Caribbean Community have expressed their determination to continue supporting Cuba's regional integration, following the conclusion of a two-day joint meeting. Canada's Deputy Minister of International Cooperation, Michael Kergin, told reporters at the end of the meeting that the two sides agreed on the full integration of Cuba into the region. He said that this forms an important part of the process of cooperation between Caribbean countries and other nations of the hemisphere. A joint communique stated that the meeting's agenda included a debate on perspectives of the so-called Summit of the Americas, to be held in April in Chile -- an encounter promoted by the United States to which Cuba has not been invited. CARICOM's Secretary General. Edwin Carrington, told Guyanese journalists that representatives from the organization will meet again in the Bahamas shortly before that summit, in order to review aspects to be debated there, among them a hemispheric free trade area project. CUBA AND MEXICO SIGN NEW BANK AGREEMENT Merida, February 26(RHC)-- Mexico's National Bank (BANAMEX) and Cuba's Popular Savings Bank (BPA) have signed an agreement for the exchange of financial operations, according to Mercedes Cueli, head of the BPA's International Relations Department. The Cuban official said that a previous accord already existed regarding financial transfers and other commercial operations, such as credit and loan payments. Mercedes Cueli also said that this agreement will make it possible for the Cuban Popular Savings Bank to continue to grow as a financial and commercial institution at international levels. The new accord is the result of the commercial flow between Cuba and Mexico and the good relations that the two countries have historically enjoyed. The BPA has 500 offices throughout the island, offering security and respect to its clients. CUBA MARKS 145th ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF FATHER FELIX VARELA Havana, February 26(RHC)-- Cuba marked the 145th anniversary of the death of prestigious intellectual Father Felix Varela. Present at the ceremony -- held Wednesday at the University of Havana -- was Caridad Diego, head of the Office for Religious Affairs of the Cuban Communist Party's Central Committee. Addressing participants, Diego said that the priest was above all a Cuban, a defender of the island's sovereignty and independence. Father Varela -- born on November 20th, 1788 -- became a priest when he was 23 years old. He was a professor at the University of Havana's Philosophy Department and taught for ten years at the Cuban capital's San Carlos Seminar. In 1821, Father Varela was elected to represent Cuba before the Spanish Courts, where he advocated for justice and demanded freedom for Black slaves. When absolutism was established in Spain in 1823, he travelled to New York, where he proclaimed Cuba's right to be an independent and sovereign nation. He served in New York as a priest for 30 years, where he founded schools, built churches, and helped the poor. He died at San Agustin de la Florida, also in the United States, on February 25th, 1853. His mortal remains have rested at the University of Havana since November 1911. SPANISH SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY LEADER, JOAQUIN ALMUNIA, VISITS CUBA Havana, February 26(RHC)-- The General Secretary of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party, Joaquin Almunia, is currently visiting Cuba, invited by the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party. Upon his arrival to Havana, Almunia said that the objective of his visit is to contribute to the normalization of relations between Cuba and Spain. The Spanish political leader travelled to the island accompanied by other members of his Party. During the delegation's stay, they will meet with representatives of the Cuban government and visit places of political and social interest. The Spanish Socialist Workers Party delegation will be in Cuba until Sunday. CUBA WILL PUBLISH ITS FIRST GEOGRAPHIC DICTIONARY Havana, February 26(RHC)-- Cuba will have a new geographic dictionary by the end of 1998. According to authorities, the book will be approximately 500 pages long and will include some 50 maps and photographs. The announcement was made during the first day of sessions of the National Meeting of Geography Advisor Groups, held here in the Cuban capital. Besides its usefulness at schools, cultural and sports institutions, and by the mass media, the publication will serve tourists and help investors on the island obtain more information regarding Cuba's geography. The new Cuban reference book will be published under the guidance of the National Commission for Geographic Names, created in 1980. CUBAN CD WINS GRAMMY AWARD New York, February 26(RHC)-- A group of Cuban artists won a Grammy in the tropical Latin music category last night for the CD called "Buena Vista Social Club." The CD -- produced by renowned U.S. guitarist Ry Cooder -- was the result of his visit to Cuba last year, where he was fascinated by the island's musical richness. This is the second time Cuban artists have won a Grammy. The first was in 1979 when the group Irakere was awarded the prize. [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. 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