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 Wednesday, March 4, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- MIAMI-BASED COALITION CALLS FOR LIFTING OF U.S. BAN ON TRAVEL AND SALE OF FOOD AND MEDICINE TO CUBA 2.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO MEETS WITH THE ISLAND'S INTELLECTUALS 3.- PREPARATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL WORKERS DAY UNDERWAY 4.- WORKSHOP ON CONTAMINATED BAYS AND COASTAL REGIONS OPENS IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL 5.- DIRECTOR GENERAL OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION VISITS CUBA 6.- CUBA AND BULGARIA TO RE-ACTIVATE BILATERAL TIES 7.- CUBA HARVESTS OVER 50 TONS OF COTTON DURING THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF THE YEAR MIAMI-BASED COALITION CALLS FOR LIFTING OF U.S. BAN ON TRAVEL AND SALE OF FOOD AND MEDICINE TO CUBA Miami, March 4(RHC)-- Cuban-American organizations are calling on the administration of President Bill Clinton to lift the blockade on food and medicine to Cuba as well as allow Cuban-Americans to visit the island. The coalition -- composed of the Antonio Maceo Brigade, the Workers Alliance of the Cuban Community and the Miami Coalition Against the Blockade -- issued a statement Tuesday, announcing a campaign to collect signatures in support of two bills in the U.S. Congress. The proposed legislation would permit the sale of food and medicine to Cuba -- amounting to a partial lifting of Washington's economic blockade against the island. According to the coalition, more than 70,000 Cubans living abroad visited the island last year -- 90 percent of them from the United States. The Miami-based coalition pointed out that most of those visiting Cuba from the U.S. had to travel to third countries. Appealing to the U.S. president to lift restrictions on travel to the island, the Cuban-American organizations joined other groups around the country to change Washington's policy toward the land of their birth. CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO MEETS WITH THE ISLAND'S INTELLECTUALS Havana, March 4(RHC)--Cuban President Fidel Castro met with members of the island's Union of Artists and Writers Tuesday evening here in Havana. The meeting was a preparatory event for the upcoming 6th Congress of that organization. The Cuban leader and intellectuals discussed issues such as culture and development, tourism and cultural heritage. Also attending the meeting was the Minister of Culture Abel Prieto as well as renowned Cuban writers and intellectuals like Miguel Barnet, Graciela Pogoloti and Enrique Nunez Rodriguez. PREPARATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL WORKERS DAY UNDERWAY Havana, March 4(RHC)--The Cuban Workers Confederation (CTC) says it will work hard in making this year's International Workers Day a complete success. Speaking at a meeting Tuesday in Havana, the General Secretary of the CTC, Pedro Ross Leal, said this year's celebrations will not only commemorate the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Cuba's most important union leader, Jesus Menendez, but the Cuban people will also reaffirm their support for the Cuban Revolution and condemn neoliberalism and globalization. In addition to the main May Day celebrations in Havana's Plaza de la Revolucion, the CTC has a program of activities throughout the island, including a march to the tomb of former CTC General Secretary Lazaro Pena. Outstanding union leaders will receive awards and a cultural activity will also take place in the Lazaro Pena Theater. WORKSHOP ON CONTAMINATED BAYS AND COASTAL REGIONS OPENS IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL Havana, March 4(RHC)-- A project to clean up Havana Bay is one of the main topics being discussed at the Second Workshop of Highly Contaminated Bays and Coastal Regions in the Caribbean. Inaugurating the event here in Havana, an official from the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment, Roberto Castellanos, said that Cuba, Colombia, Jamaica and Costa Rica will report on the results of their investigations. The workshop will serve as a basis to examine the steps taken since the beginning of the project two years ago. The Cuban official pointed out that the research done on Havana Bay has permitted an indepth look at the causes and solutions of contamination and the investment needed to solve the problems. The decontamination of Havana Bay progressed considerably after the reduction of hydrocarbons from several of Havana factories. DIRECTOR GENERAL OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION VISITS CUBA Havana, March 4(RHC)-- The Director General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Jacque Diouf, is in Havana for a three-day official visit. During his visit to Cuba, the U.N. official will visit agricultural areas in Havana Province. Diouf is also scheduled to meet with the Minister of Foreign Investment Ibrahim Ferradaz, Health Minister Carlos Dotres and other government officials. CUBA AND BULGARIA TO RE-ACTIVATE BILATERAL TIES Havana, March 4(RHC)-- Cuba and Bulgaria are currently working on re-activating their economic and commercial ties during the upcoming Mixed Inter-governmental Meeting to take place in Havana. The head of Bulgaria's business sector, Emilia Estefanova, said that in order to strengthen bilateral ties, the European nation is scheduled to sign a mutual cooperation accord in the field of health and an Investment Promotion and Protection agreement. CUBA HARVESTS OVER 50 TONS OF COTTON DURING THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF THE YEAR Havana, March 4(RHC)--Cuba has harvested over 50 tons of cotton during the first three months of this year. This is the result of a project in collaboration with the Spanish region of Andalucia. Experts in the field said that the island's cotton harvest corresponds with international requirements in relation to parameters, resistance and fiber longevity. [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. For further information, contact us at: Postal Address: Radio Havana Cuba P.O.Box 6240 Havana, Cuba Telephone: (53) (7) 791053 Fax: (53) (7) 795007 E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org WWW: http://www.radiohc.org