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, March 6, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- PARTICIPANTS OF U.S.-CUBA BUSINESS SUMMIT ARRIVE IN HAVANA FOR SECOND DAY OF MEETINGS 2.- ULTRA RIGHT-WING ON CAPITAL HILL MANEUVERS TO COUNTER SUPPORT FOR MEASURES EASING BLOCKADE OF CUBA 3.- GENERAL DIRECTOR OF THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION RECEIVES CUBAN SOLIDARITY MEDAL 4.- NUMBER OF WOMEN UNION LEADERS CONTINUES TO INCREASE 5.- CUBAN SCIENTIFIC DELEGATION TO COSTA RICA AND PUERTO RICO 6.- SPORTS MAGAZINE "MARCAS" AVAILABLE ON INTERNET PARTICIPANTS OF U.S.-CUBA BUSINESS SUMMIT ARRIVE IN HAVANA FOR SECOND DAY OF MEETINGS Havana, March 6(RHC)-- The U.S.-Cuba Business Summit continued today in Havana following their first meeting on Thursday in Cancun, Mexico. Some 50 leading U.S. business executives as well as attorneys and consultants met Thursday with high- ranking officials from Cuba's Finance, Tourism and Foreign Ministries as well as Cuba's Central Bank. During the first of a two-day gathering, William Lane, an executive from the Caterpillar firm, said that his and other companies are concerned over Washington's increasing use of economic sanctions against foreign countries. As a result, a number of U.S. companies have formed a business coalition to fight this tendency. As an example, Lane pointed to the sanctions against the former Soviet Union, saying that the sanctions left one of the world's largest markets in the hands of a competitor -- the Japanese firm Komatsu. As a result, said Lane, American jobs were lost. The business executive said sanctions affect the credibility of U.S. firms because they place in doubt their capacity to stand behind their products if sanctions are slapped against the country with which they're doing business. The organizer of the U.S.-Cuba Business Summit, Kirby Jones -- of the consulting firm Alamar Associates -- said that particularly following Pope John Paul II's visit to Cuba, more and more Americans are questioning Washington's Cuba policy, asking how it serves U.S. interests. On the Cuban side, the head of the North America Office of Cuba's Foreign Ministry -- Carlos Fernandez de Cossio -- said he believed the gathering has contributed to bridging the gap between the two nations. He presented a report to the participants, asserting that the Cuban economy will register a 3.5 percent growth rate this year, compared to 2.5 percent last year -- despite the stepping up of Washington's economic war against the island. The report said that despite the decline of the sugar industry last year, other sectors grew such as tourism, mining, electronics and beverages. Addressing the gathering Thursday in Cancun, Cuban Central Bank Director Francisco Soberon said that for the moment, investment in the island's banking sector would not be possible. He said experience has demonstrated the adverse effects on local economies of indiscriminately and hastily opening the banking sector. Soberon said that over the past 20 years this type of investment "has caused one hundred crises worldwide and Cuba does not want to become the 101st." He added that Cuba does not have the support of international credit institutions that rushed to Mexico's rescue and are now hurrying to help Asia. ULTRA RIGHT-WING ON CAPITAL HILL MANEUVERS TO COUNTER SUPPORT FOR MEASURES EASING BLOCKADE OF CUBA Washington, March 6(RHC)-- The ultra right-wing on Capital Hill continues maneuvering to counter support for measures that would ease the blockade of Cuba. Assistants to Senator Jesse Helms -- who presides over the Senate Foreign Relations Committee -- and members of the House Foreign Relations Committee who visited Cuba during Pope John Paul II's visit, presented a report Thursday on the Cuban economy. The report recommends an increase in humanitarian aid to Cuba through the Catholic Church and so-called independent organizations to ease what they absurdly claim is "scarcity in Cuba that the government uses to control its population." At the same time, the report recommends a continuation of the embargo and of the Helms-Burton Law, further tightening the screws on the blockade of Cuba. Following the unprecedented support of two bills on both floors of the U.S. Congress that would allow for the free flow of food and medicine to Cuba, Senator Helms and the ultra right-wing Cuban-American National Foundation drew up their own plan of so-called humanitarian aid. This about-face is also interpreted as a reaction to the formation of a coalition of U.S. groups called Americans for Humanitarian Trade with Cuba, which received the backing of the powerful U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Cuba has stated on several occasions that it respects sincere actions to ease the blockade currently underway in the United States, but would reject any interventionist formula, with conditions attached, drawn up by Helms and the CANF. GENERAL DIRECTOR OF THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION RECEIVES CUBAN SOLIDARITY MEDAL Havana, March 6(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro has awarded the General Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Jacque Diouf, with the Solidarity Medal. During the ceremony which took place in Havana's Revolution Palace, Minister for Foreign Investment Ibrahim Ferradaz outlined the FAO official's 35 years of professional, diplomatic, scientific and political activities as well as his humble dedication. The foreign investment minister added that the professional dedication of the FAO general director was aimed at sensitizing the international community with the problems of poverty and malnutrition. The Cuban official pointed out that the FAO general director has pushed for new relations through technical cooperation between developing nations. Over 800 million people worldwide suffer from malnutrition. With its sights on the problem, the FAO organized the 1996 World Food Summit in Rome with the assistance of over 110 heads of state and governments. For its part, Cuba has stated it is willing to offer technical assistance to other countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America in the field of agriculture, cattle raising, food, sugar and fishing industries. Also attending last night's ceremony to award the General Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization with the Cuban Solidarity Medal, were Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage, Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina, Culture Minister Abel Prieto and other government officials. NUMBER OF WOMEN UNION LEADERS CONTINUES TO INCREASE Havana, March 6(RHC)-- The General Secretary of Cuba's Workers Confederation, Pedro Ross Leal, said that the number of women heading the country's labor organization continues to grow. Ross Leal was speaking at an event as part of activities commemorating International Women's Day which takes place on Sunday, March 8th. He emphasized that women represent 47 per cent of the union leadership. This and other achievements, said the CTC leader, is the result of the Cuban women's struggle to advance in society and the opportunities given to them by the Cuban Revolution despite the current economic crisis. Ross Leal said the economic crisis has greatly affected the daily work of Cuban women. During the event to celebrate International Women's Day, the general secretary of Cuba's Workers Confederation added that 6.1 per cent of all administrative positions are occupied by women. Both in the union locals as well as in the municipalities, women make up from 48 to 51 percent of the membership. CUBAN SCIENTIFIC DELEGATION TO COSTA RICA AND PUERTO RICO Havana, March 6(RHC)-- A delegation headed by Cuban scientist Jorge Ramon Cuevas will travel to Costa Rica as part of an international project to contribute to the preservation of a forest reserve in Huanacaste. Invited by the Huanacaste Conservation Center and a private group dedicated to filming documentaries on Costa Rican nature, the Cuban delegation will be in Costa Rica from March 15th through April 11th. Afterwards, the Cuban scientific delegation will travel to Puerto Rico to participate in an international conference on tourism and the preservation of cultural heritage and nature. SPORTS MAGAZINE "MARCAS" AVAILABLE ON INTERNET Havana, March 6(RHC)-- The President of Cuba's Olympic Committee, Jose Ramon Fernandez, unveiled the new sports magazine "Marcas" on Thursday in the Cuban capital. The new monthly magazine has articles on Cuban sports and highlights the internationally recognized precision of Cuban sports physicians, technicians and trainers on the island. Fernandez said the magazine is available on the Internet through the Prensa Latina News Agency and the National Sports Institute at http://www.prensa-latina.com/Marcas [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