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 Friday, June 19, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN COMMERCIAL AIRLINERS GRANTED PERMISSION TO FLY OVER U.S. TERRITORY, AVOIDING VOTE BY INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION 2.- SECOND WORLD ENCOUNTER ON SPECIAL EDUCATION CONTINUES IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL 3.- 10TH CONFERENCE OF CUBAN AND NORTH AMERICAN PHILOSOPHERS AND SOCIAL SCIENTISTS WINDS UP IN HAVANA 4.- SECOND HISPANIC-AMERICAN SYMPOSIUM ON MEDICAL TELECONFERENCING ENDS SUCCESSFUL CONFERENCE 5.- FOREST FIRES IN EASTERN GUANTANAMO ARE UNDER CONTROL 6.- HEALTH MINISTERS BEGIN ARRIVING FOR NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT SUMMIT 7.- UKRAINIAN HEALTH MINISTER ARRIVES IN HAVANA 8.- ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES CONTINUES STRENGTHENING TIES WITH CUBA CUBAN COMMERCIAL AIRLINERS GRANTED PERMISSION TO FLY OVER U.S. TERRITORY, AVOIDING VOTE BY INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION Montreal, June 19(RHC)-- The International Civil Aviation Organization announced Friday that the United States has decided to give Cuban commercial airliners permission to fly over U.S. territory on their way to and from Canada. The confirmation comes following an announcement by the U.S. State Department that Washington would allow Cubana airlines flights to use U.S. air corridors in flights between Havana, Montreal and Toronto. Since 1984, Cuba has been forced to use seven tons of additional fuel for the round-trip flights, diverting aircraft over the Atlantic Ocean in order to avoid U.S. territorial airspace. Two years ago, Cuba presented a demand against the United States before the International Civil Aviation Organization, which was expected to rule in Cuba's favor next week. The demand was based on compliance with the 1944 Chicago Accord, which states that no country should deny the right of foreign commercial aircraft to fly over its territory. Despite the fact that the United States is a signatory nation to the accord, until now, Washington had denied that right to Cuban commercial flights. SECOND WORLD ENCOUNTER ON SPECIAL EDUCATION CONTINUES IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL Havana, June 19(RHC)-- The Second World Encounter on Special Education continues in Havana, with conferences by representatives from Canada, Chile and Spain as well as round table debates and working commissions. More than 1200 delegates from 23 countries are exchanging experiences in the area of special education, discussing efforts to help handicapped children become productive citizens. On Friday, the 7th Latin American Scientific Conference on Special Education and the First International Symposium on Pre-school Education and Kindergarten also continue their sessions in the Cuban capital. The Second World Encounter on Special Education was inaugurated on Wednesday with the participation of Cuban President Fidel Castro. 10TH CONFERENCE OF CUBAN AND NORTH AMERICAN PHILOSOPHERS AND SOCIAL SCIENTISTS WINDS UP IN HAVANA Havana, June 19(RHC)-- The 10th Conference of Cuban and North American Philosophers and Social Scientists has wound up at the University of Havana's Aula Magna after five days of sessions. On Friday, participants discussed the extraterritorial character of the anti-Cuban Helms-Burton Law and international accords. More than 60 professors and experts from the U.S. Radical Philosophers Association took part in the conference. SECOND HISPANIC-AMERICAN SYMPOSIUM ON MEDICAL TELECONFERENCING ENDS SUCCESSFUL CONFERENCE Havana, June 19(RHC)-- Cuban Health Minister Carlos Dotres praised the results of the Second Hispanic-American Symposium on Medical Teleconferencing which has concluded in Havana. During the closing ceremony in the Cuban capital, the health minister thanked the Hispanic-American Research Association and Telecommunications Company for having selected Cuba as host nation. After recognizing that technology will help to strengthen the health sector, the Cuban official stressed that communications will never substitute the need for solidarity in the practice of medical science. Among the many issues discussed during the symposium, experts from 25 countries paid special attention to the use of medical teleconferences in various countries, including Cuba and Norway. FOREST FIRES IN EASTERN GUANTANAMO ARE UNDER CONTROL Guantanamo, June 19(RHC)-- The forest fires that have affected a large area of eastern Guantanamo province are now under control. Firefighters from the Ministries of the Interior and Agriculture as well as volunteers fought the blaze for six days. The fires have affected over 200 hectares, destroying or damaging precious wood and valuable plant species. Planes flown in from central Camaguey province dropped water on the blaze and helped contain the fires. The head of the Forest Department at the provincial Ministry of Agriculture, Juan Payan, said that the fires should be completely extinguished by late Friday. Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the forest fires. HEALTH MINISTERS BEGIN ARRIVING FOR NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT SUMMIT Havana, June 19(RHC)-- The Health Minister of the People's Democratic Republic of Korea, Kim Su Hak, has arrived in Cuba to participate in the Health Minister's Summit of the Movement of Non-Aligned Nations. Colombia, the current President of the Non-Aligned Movement, proposed that Cuba host the Health Minister's Summit, which will take place in Havana on June 25th and 26th. Some of the issues that will be discussed during the Summit will be health reforms on the threshold of the 21st century, with special emphasis on Health for All strategies. UKRAINIAN HEALTH MINISTER ARRIVES IN HAVANA Havana, June 19(RHC)-- Ukrainian Health Minister Andriy Serdyuk has arrived in Cuba, heading an official delegation to the Second Session of the Cuba-Ukraine Joint Intergovernmental Commission for Economic and Scientific Collaboration. In statements to reporters upon his arrival in Havana, the Ukrainian official said that the main purpose of the meeting will be to strengthen ties with Cuba and analyze possibilities of increasing the supply of Cuban products in the Ukrainian market and vice versa. The Ukrainian health minister recalled that Cuba was the first country to come to its assistance after the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident and pointed to the special medical treatment Ukrainian children receive on the island. ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES CONTINUES STRENGTHENING TIES WITH CUBA Havana, June 19(RHC)-- The Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, James Mitchell, said that his government will continue strengthening its relations with Cuba and the Caribbean community. The leader of the New Democratic Party of St. Vincent and Grenadines was re-elected prime minister for another five-year term earlier this week. In statements to Radio Havana Cuba, Mitchell outlined the existing bilateral accords between both nations and the facilities that Cuba offers students from that Caribbean nation to carry out professional studies on the island. [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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