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, June 9, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO RECEIVES VISITING RUSSIAN COMMUNIST LEADER GUENADI ZIUGANOV 2.- CUBAN MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND PRESIDENT OF NATIONAL DRUG COMMISSION ADDRESSES SPECIAL UNITED NATIONS SUMMIT 3.- VISITING ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER LAMBERTO DINI BEGINS OFFICIAL TALKS WITH CUBAN GOVERNMENT 4.- CUBA: ONE DOCTOR FOR EVERY 170 INHABITANTS 5.- BRITISH BUSINESS DELEGATION CONTINUES VISIT TO CUBA 6.- GERMAN BUSINESS DELEGATION ARRIVES IN CUBA 7.- PORTUGAL'S FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT CUBA NEXT MONTH CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO RECEIVES VISITING RUSSIAN COMMUNIST LEADER GUENADI ZIUGANOV Havana, June 9(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro received visiting Russian Communist Party leader Guenadi Ziuganov late Monday night. The President of the Executive Committee of the Russian Communist Party arrived in the Cuban capital Monday evening to wrap-up a Latin America tour that took him to Brazil and Argentina. Ziuganov, who heads the Communist faction of Russia's lower house of Parliament -- or Duma -- spoke of his interest in strengthening ties with the Communist Parties of Latin America. He also reiterated his organization's condemnation of Washington's blockade against Cuba and expressed his willingness to contribute to broader relations between the two countries. During his four-day visit, Ziuganov will meet with other high-ranking members of the Cuban government, including Parliament President Ricardo Alarcon and Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina. CUBAN MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND PRESIDENT OF NATIONAL DRUG COMMISSION ADDRESSES SPECIAL UNITED NATIONS SUMMIT New York, June 9(RHC)-- The Cuban Minister of Justice and President of the National Drug Commission, Roberto Diaz Sotolongo, has called for international cooperation to combat illegal drug trafficking. Addressing the Extraordinary Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Drug Trafficking on Tuesday, Sotolongo said the international community cannot be satisfied with current levels of cooperation, but must work to increase joint efforts in the area. The Cuban official noted that the illegal drug market brings in 400 billion dollars annually -- equivalent to approximately eight percent of world trade. He reminded participants at the special UN drug summit in New York that the sale and use of drugs are directly related to criminal violence and corruption -- feeding on the poverty that prevails in the world today. Sotolongo said that the trafficking of drugs does not respect borders, class distinctions or ideologies. And the Cuban official made special mention of Third World countries, where underdevelopment and illiteracy continue to grow -- making it even more difficult to devote resources to the fight against drugs. The Cuban Minister of Justice and President of the National Drug Commission pointed out that drug use does not constitute a social problem on the island. However, due to its geographical location, some drug traffickers have tried to use Cuba as a springboard into the United States. Roberto Diaz Sotolongo stressed that the Cuban government has been and continues to be determined to fight illegal drug trafficking. VISITING ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER LAMBERTO DINI BEGINS OFFICIAL TALKS WITH CUBAN GOVERNMENT Havana, June 9(RHC)-- Visiting Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini began official talks today with members of the Cuban government. After arriving in the Cuban capital late Monday evening, the visiting dignitary stated that his country hoped to reinforce dialogue with Cuba, as well as bilateral cooperation in economic, cultural and other spheres. Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini began talks with his Cuban counterpart, Roberto Robaina, shortly after placing a floral wreath at the monument of Cuba's National Hero, Jose Marti, in Havana's Plaza de la Revolucion. This is the first visit to Cuba of an Italian government minister in over 30 years. CUBA: ONE DOCTOR FOR EVERY 170 INHABITANTS Havana, June 9(RHC)-- With the recent graduation of 2300 doctors, Cuba will soon have one doctor for every 170 inhabitants. The medical school graduates will join the island's Health Ministry and, within the next several weeks, the number of physicians in Cuba will reach nearly 65,000. About half of the doctors in Cuba work in rural and urban communities, in schools, day care centers, work places and agricultural cooperatives. Since the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in 1959, health care is universal and free of charge to every Cuban citizen. There were only six thousand doctors in Cuba before 1959, most of them working in the cities. With Washington's anti-communist propaganda, encouraging physicians and other professionals to leave the island, some three thousand doctors left for the United States in the early 1960's. BRITISH BUSINESS DELEGATION CONTINUES VISIT TO CUBA Havana, June 9(RHC)-- The British business delegation currently visiting the island met with Tourism Minister Osmany Cienfuegos and the Vice President of Cuba's Central Bank Sergio Plasencia. The group of British business representatives said they are interested in doing business in the areas of tourism, finance, agriculture, construction, transportation and medicine. The delegation, headed by Trevor Jones, President of Commercial Advisors for the Caribbean, met Monday with Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade Ricardo Cabrisas to learn more about the current economic situation on the island, particularly the recovery of the sugar industry. GERMAN BUSINESS DELEGATION ARRIVES IN CUBA Havana, June 9(RHC)-- A German business delegation is currently visiting Cuba with the objective of exploring business opportunities on the island. Heading the German delegation is the advisor of that country's economy ministry, Berbert Rodovsky. Cuba's Chamber of Commerce stated that the representatives of 13 companies from the German state of Turingia will meet with Cuban business people to discuss the current economic situation and future perspectives on the island. PORTUGAL'S FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT CUBA NEXT MONTH Lisbon, June 9(RHC)-- Portuguese Foreign Minister Jaime Gama is scheduled to visit Cuba next month. In statements to Prensa Latina News Agency, the General Director of the Portuguese Foreign Ministry's Office on Bilateral Affairs, Joao Manuel Guerra Salguiero, said that Gama's trip is aimed at strengthening ties between both nations. The Portuguese official added that Foreign Minister Gama will also discuss preparations for the 8th Iberoamerican Summit, slated to take place next October in the northern Portuguese city of Oporto, some 300 kilometers from Lisbon. [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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