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, June 25, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO AND COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT ERNESTO SAMPER PRESIDE OVER INAUGURAL CEREMONY OF NON- ALIGNED MINISTERIAL MEETING IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL 2.- REVEREND LUCIUS WALKER VISITS HAVANA TO PREPARE FOR NEXT PASTORS FOR PEACE FRIENDSHIPMENT 3.- CUBAN PARLIAMENT BEGINS FIRST ORDINARY SESSION NEXT MONTH 4.- FRENCH TRANSPORTATION MINISTER CONCLUDES THREE-DAY VISIT 5.- CUBA IS REORIENTING TRADE TOWARD LATIN AMERICA 6.- CUBA-HOLLAND AGRICULTURAL WORKING GROUP WINDS UP MEETING CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO AND COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT ERNESTO SAMPER PRESIDE OVER INAUGURAL CEREMONY OF NON-ALIGNED MINISTERIAL MEETING IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL Havana, June 25(RHC)-- The 13rd Meeting of Health Ministers of Non-Aligned Nations opened on Thursday at Havana's Convention Center. The event's inaugural ceremony was presided over by Cuban President Fidel Castro, Colombian President Ernesto Samper -- who also serves as head of the Movement of Non-Aligned Nations -- and other international personalities, including the Director General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Hiroshi Nakajima. During his inaugural speech, the Colombian president said he was pleased to attend the meeting for two reasons. One, because the host is Cuba and two, because delegates will be dealing with the social issue of health care. Samper said Cuba has a great deal to teach the world about its spectacular results in the field of health, with a life-expectancy similar to that of developed nations. The President of the Non-Aligned Movement said "this country that welcomes us today has shown the dialectic truth that revolutions produce healthy children." Samper stated that isolation is no longer a valid option for any country. He said that the Third World has realized that the process of globalization, "guided by market forces without a human face, carries in itself the germ of its own destruction." And Colombian president and head of the Non- Aligned Movement added that delegates to the ministerial meeting in Havana are "demanding their right to a more equitable distribution of health." REVEREND LUCIUS WALKER VISITS HAVANA TO PREPARE FOR NEXT PASTORS FOR PEACE FRIENDSHIPMENT Havana, June 25(RHC)-- The Executive Director of Pastors for Peace, Reverend Lucius Walker, is in Havana, preparing the groundwork for next month's caravan of humanitarian aid to the island. Speaking with journalists Thursday afternoon, the leader of Pastors for Peace announced that the 8th Friendshipment Caravan would begin July 1st from Canada and northern U.S. cities -- collecting aid on its way to the U.S. southern border with Mexico. Reverend Walker said that as many as 150 to 200 activists would accompany the aid across the border into Mexico and bring it to Cuba on July 23rd. During this afternoon's press conference, the leader of Pastors for Peace commented about recent moves by the Clinton administration to ease licensing restrictions on humanitarian aid to Cuba. "I don't think President Clinton's announcement represents any progress. Instead, I think the announcement is dangerous. First, it is intended to make the U.S. look good in the public eye while the blockade continues. Secondly, I view this new policy as an insult to Cuba. Cuba is not asking for a U.S. hand-out. Cuba is asking for the removal of the barriers to sell, to trade, to do business. And instead, Clinton is trying to make Cuba a beggar-nation. The third problem with Clinton's announcement is that it is intended to undermine or neutralize the growing support for the Torres bill. That legislation would remove food and medicine from the blockade. Currently, there are at least 130 members of the House of Representatives that are sponsoring this legislation. Clinton and [U.S. Senator Jesse] Helms are afraid that this legislation will pass. Clinton's announcement and Helms' introduction of new legislation is designed to undermine or neutralize support for Bill 1951." CUBAN PARLIAMENT BEGINS FIRST ORDINARY SESSION NEXT MONTH Havana, June 25(RHC)-- The Cuban Parliament will open its first ordinary session of the Fifth Legislature on July 21st with discussions on legislation regarding forests. Other issues that are expected to be discussed are the island's energy situation, as well as reports from the Education and Foreign Ministries. The first ordinary session of the Cuban National Assembly, whose members to the Fifth Legislature were elected earlier this year, will also deal with other pending issues and laws. According to the Cuban constitution, there are two ordinary sessions held each year. FRENCH TRANSPORTATION MINISTER CONCLUDES THREE-DAY VISIT Havana, June 25 (RHC)-- French Transportation Minister Jean Claude Gayssot has wound up a three-day official visit to Cuba. Before his departure, the French official spoke with journalists in Havana. He characterized his visit as positive and reiterated France's condemnation of extraterritorial legislation that violates international law. The French transportation minister pointed to the signing of various agreements which he said would benefit transportation in Cuba, including the improvement of air traffic control and security as well as the development of the island's railway system. Gayssot explained that Cuba and France have agreed to finish negotiations next month on the rehabilitation of the Havana Bay tunnel, which connects Old Havana with the eastern part of the capital. The French transportation minister characterized his meetings with Cuban President Fidel Castro and Vice President Carlos Lage as "rich and open." Jean Claude Gayssot said they discussed Washington's blockade against the island, globalization, human rights and bilateral relations. CUBA IS REORIENTING TRADE TOWARD LATIN AMERICA Montevideo, June 25(RHC)-- Cuba's Ambassador to Uruguay Manuel Aguilera told reporters that his country is reorienting its foreign market toward Latin America, emphasizing that trade with the region currently makes up 30 per cent of the island's total trade. Aguilera, who is heading a Cuban technical delegation to the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI), said that this institution, considering its importance, can be a help in incorporating Cuba into the region. On Wednesday, the Cuban technical delegation spent its second day in discussions on the island's economy. CUBA-HOLLAND AGRICULTURAL WORKING GROUP WINDS UP MEETING The Hague, June 25(RHC)-- The 6th Meeting of the Cuba-Holland Agricultural Working Group has wound up at The Hague with the signing of an agreement. Both sides characterized the meeting as a fruitful exchange and pointed out the need to expand Cuban-Dutch relations in the future in other fields. Dutch officials announced the visit of a delegation from that country's Agriculture Ministry to Cuba next October. The delegation will be headed by the General Secretary of the Dutch Agriculture and Fishing Ministry and will include business executives from the agricultural sector and representatives of Dutch companies. [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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