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 Tuesday, July 7, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO MEETS WITH GENERAL SECRETARY OF MARXIST COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA 2.- JOSE MARTI ORDER AWARDED TO VENEZUELAN CULTURAL ENVOY 3.- PORTUGAL'S FOREIGN MINISTER ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO CUBA 4.- PRESIDENT OF MALI TO VISIT THE ISLAND 5.- PUERTO RICO-CUBA SOLIDARITY MEETING WRAPS UP IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL 6.- PORTUGAL PAYS TRIBUTE TO LATE CUBAN FILM-MAKER SANTIAGO ALVAREZ 7.- YOUNG U.S. MUSICIANS SHOW THEIR FRIENDSHIP WITH CUBA CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO MEETS WITH GENERAL SECRETARY OF MARXIST COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA Havana, July 7(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro has met in Havana with the General Secretary of the Marxist Communist Party of India, Harkishan Sighh Surjeet. During their meeting, the two leaders discussed numerous political and economic issues, focussing particularly on the impact of neo-liberal globalization in the Third World. The head of India's Marxist Communist Party and his accompanying delegation was invited to visit the island by the Cuban Communist Party. During his stay, Harkishan Sighh Surjeet extended an invitation to Cuban Party officials to send a delegation to the Indian political party's Sixth Congress, slated to take place next October. JOSE MARTI ORDER AWARDED TO VENEZUELAN CULTURAL ENVOY Havana, July 7(RHC)-- During a ceremony held at the Palace of the Revolution in the Cuban capital Monday evening, President Fidel Castro awarded the Jose Marti Order to Maria Teresa Castillo -- one of the most well-known advocates of Latin American culture. The Venezuelan legislator, journalist and supporter of women's rights told reporters that she was highly honored by the distinction. Maria Teresa Castillo emphasized that the Jose Marti Order was the most beautiful recognition she had ever received and thanked the Cuban president for his confidence in her. She added that under the guidance of the Cuban leader, "the island has become a constant example for Latin America and the world." PORTUGAL'S FOREIGN MINISTER ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO CUBA Havana, July 7(RHC)-- Portuguese Foreign Minister Jaime Jose Matos Gama arrives today in Havana for a three-day official visit, invited by his Cuban counterpart, Roberto Robaina. During his stay, the distinguished visitor will meet with state and governmental authorities and will hold official talks at the island's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is the first time that a Portuguese foreign minister has visited Cuba. The official visit marks an important moment in the development of bilateral relations. And the visit of Portuguese Foreign Minister Jaime Jose Matos Gama will serve to coordinate the next two Iberoamerican Summits -- which will be held in the northern Portuguese city of Oporto in October and here in Havana next year. PRESIDENT OF MALI TO VISIT THE ISLAND Havana, July 7(RHC)-- The President of the African Republic of Mali, Alpha Oumar Konare, will visit Cuba from July 9th to the 12th, invited by Cuban President Fidel Castro. The Mali president will travel to the island accompanied by his country's Foreign Minister, Modibo Sidibe, and other governmental authorities. During his stay in Cuba, President Alpha Oumar Konare will meet with Cuban leaders and visit centers of economic, scientific and historical interest. PUERTO RICO-CUBA SOLIDARITY MEETING WRAPS UP IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL Havana, July 7(RHC)-- The First Puerto Rico-Cuba Solidarity and Friendship Encounter concluded in Havana with a reaffirmation of the links that unite our two peoples in history and struggle: Washington's blockade against Cuba and U.S. colonialism imposed on Puerto Rico. The Final Declaration of this historic meeting reaffirms Puerto Rico's solidarity with Cuba, demands the release of Puerto Rican political prisoners in U.S. jails and comes out against the privatization of public enterprises on that sister island. During the closing ceremony, the Cuban Council of State awarded the Friendship Medal to three outstanding Puerto Ricans: former political prisoner Rafael Cancel Miranda; Edwin Gonzalez, representative in Cuba of the New Independence Movement; and Alejandro Torres, Vice President of the Hostonian National Congress. Jose Ramon Balaguer, member of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party, announced that Havana will also be the site of the Second Puerto Rico-Cuba Solidarity and Friendship Encounter, scheduled to take place in the year 2000. Balaguer noted that Cuba receives solidarity from all over the world, "but solidarity shown by the Puerto Rican people has a special meaning." PORTUGAL PAYS TRIBUTE TO LATE CUBAN FILM-MAKER SANTIAGO ALVAREZ Lisbon, July 7(RHC)-- The organizers of the 7th Vila do Conde International Feature Film Festival in Portugal dedicated one of the event's main activities to pay tribute to late Cuban film-maker Santiago Alvarez. The life and work of Alvarez, one of Latin America's most-notable documentary film-makers during the 20th century, will be the main focus of the section called South of the Tropic of Cancer -- devoted to showing life on the southern side of the planet by screening African, Latin American and European films. A total of 48 short feature films produced between January 1997 and April 1998 -- representing 26 nations -- will be shown at the Festival in Lisbon, the Portuguese capital. YOUNG U.S. MUSICIANS SHOW THEIR FRIENDSHIP WITH CUBA Havana, July 7(RHC)-- The Young People's Orchestra from the U.S. city of Oakland, California, has showed friendship and goodwill by travelling to Cuba for a music concert. The 80 young musicians shared the stage of Havana's Garcia Lorca Theater with members of the Cuba's Symphonic Youth Orchestra, for an excellent performance directed by Michael Morgan. According to Morgan -- who had words of praise for Cuban professors and students -- these 14 to 22-year-old musicians perform concerts in the San Francisco Bay Area. The U.S. director said the young people are eager to establish links that will enrich the artistic and personal experiences of Cuban and American youngsters. 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