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 11, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO MEETS IN HAVANA WITH ITALIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER RINO SERRI 2.- COMMEMORATION OF 40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE EASTERN FRONT 3.- CUBA'S SOCIAL SECURITY BUDGET GROWS BY NEARLY FIVE PERCENT 4.- UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROJECT SIGNS ACCORD WITH CUBA 5.- INCREASING EXPORTS AND CUTTING IMPORTS IS KEY TO ECONOMY CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO MEETS IN HAVANA WITH ITALIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER RINO SERRI Havana, March 11(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro met Tuesday evening in Havana with Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Rino Serri. The Italian diplomat expressed the desire that his country expand relations with Cuba and that it serve as a bridge to better understanding between the island and the European Community. After the meeting, Serri told reporters that he was very impressed by the Cuban leader, with whom he exchanged views on the political, social and economic situation in Cuba, Italy and the world. The Italian deputy foreign minister confirmed that Italy will support Cuba's integration as part of the Lome Treaty which stipulates preferential treatment in commercial relations with the European Union. Rino Serri also reiterated the opposition of Rome and that of the 15 EU member states, to Washington's blockade against Cuba. On Wednesday, the Italian official concluded his official four-day visit to the island, during which he signed bilateral agreements in numerous sectors, including health care. COMMEMORATION OF 40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE EASTERN SECOND FRONT Havana, March 11(RHC)-- The 40th anniversary of Cuba's Eastern Second Front was celebrated Wednesday in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba. Ceremonies including a military review and political statements were presided over by Defense Minister Raul Castro in the town of Mayari Arriba. The Frank Pais Second Front was created by the Rebel Army during the time that Fidel Castro and his followers were fighting in the Sierra Maestra Mountains against the Batista dictatorship. Wednesday's commemoration took place beside the mausoleum that contains the remains of combatants who fell in battle in the area during the island's last liberation war. Participating in the homage along with Raul Castro and local residents were representatives of founders and combatants of the Front who fought under the command of Raul Castro. On Monday, Raul Castro laid a floral wreath at the mausoleum honoring the heros and martyrs of the Frank Pais Second Front. CUBA'S SOCIAL SECURITY BUDGET GROWS BY NEARLY FIVE PERCENT Havana, March 11(RHC)-- Cuba will spend 4.7% more this year on meeting the social needs of the population. Wednesday's edition of Granma newspaper reports that the 1998 national budget earmarks one billion 606 million pesos to protect one million 380 thousand people. The expense, one of the country's largest -- even greater than what it spends on Public Health and Education -- continues growing due to the aging Cuban population and the early retirement age of 60 for men and 55 for women. The announcement was made by Cuba's Work and Social Security Ministry, which also noted a significant increase in savings due to more efficient controls. In addition, the Ministry report explained that money is also being saved because more Cubans tend to postpone retirement which is being attributed to the gradual recuperation of the economy. UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM SIGNS ACCORD WITH CUBA Havana, March 11(RHC)-- The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has signed another project with the Cuban government to help with the island's recuperation. Cuban Deputy Minister for Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation Raul Taladrid and resident UNDP coordinator Ariel Fransua signed the three-year agreement in Havana on Tuesday. The project is valued at one million 450 thousand dollars and contemplates the participation of officials and experts from Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Norway. This is the second such project sponsored in Cuba by the UNDP. But this time, the U.N. agency has a special 300,000 dollar contribution for the project from the Norwegian government. INCREASING EXPORTS AND CUTTING IMPORTS IS KEY TO ECONOMY Havana, March 11(RHC)-- Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage stated that increased production of exports and the substitution of Cuban products for imports is what the country needs to deal with its critical lack of hard currency. Vice President Lage, who is in charge of implementing the country's economic policy, was speaking in Havana at an evaluation meeting of the Foreign Trade Ministry. The Cuban leader called for more efficiency in foreign trade which, he said, could prove to be among the most important steps for the country to take. Carlos Lage noted that the substitution of Cuban-made products for imports and increased production of exports is what the country needs to get its economy back on track. The complexity and changes that have occurred in recent years internationally and the economic changes in Cuba require more efficiency. The Cuban vice president stressed that among the most important changes that have occurred in the island's economy during these years has been the decentralization of foreign trade, which rather than decreasing, has increased the role of the Foreign Trade Ministry. Vice President Lage emphasized that today the Ministry's principal task is to properly train the executives of more than 300 companies in the practice of foreign trade. 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