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, May 8, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- U.S. CONGRESSIONAL AUDIENCE ON WASHINGTON'S CUBA POLICY TURNS INTO CUBA SOLIDARITY EVENT 2.- WIDESPREAD SUPPORT FOR CUBA'S INCORPORATION AS FULL MEMBER OF GROUP OF AFRICAN, CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC NATIONS 3.- WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION'S INVITATION TO PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO TO ATTEND 50TH ANNIVERSARY CEREMONY IS AN HONOR 4.- CUBA WOULD NOT OPPOSE SELLING ITS VACCINES TO THE UNITED STATES 5.- CUBAN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT MINSTER SAYS PROGRESS IS BEING MADE IN THE CAUTO RIVER BASIN 6.- DESPITE WASHINGTON'S BLOCKADE, CUBA HAS COMMERCIAL TIES WITH OVER 140 COUNTRIES U.S. CONGRESSIONAL AUDIENCE ON WASHINGTON'S CUBA POLICY TURNS INTO CUBA SOLIDARITY EVENT Washington, May 8(RHC)-- A U.S. congressional audience on Washington's Cuba policy -- held during five hours on Thursday -- turned into a Cuba solidarity event. The audience was held in the Subcommittee on Trade of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. Several legislators called Washington's blockade of Cuba "an absolute disaster and a relic of the Cold War". Human rights and Cuba solidarity activist Patty Newell started an e-mail list called Cuba Solidarity Globalization Network in an effort to link people to Washington with respect to the Cuba debate. She said the network grew, and came to include people from all over the world. Ms. Newell was present at the hearing, where, she said, very few anti-Cuba legislators and no anti-Cuba organizations, showed up, despite having been invited with more than a month's notice. The few Florida legislators present at the hearing accused the Subcommittee Chair, Representative Phillip Crane, of organizing a meeting of support for Cuba, but Crane flatly rejected the charge. Among those present at Thursday's congressional hearing on Washington's Cuba policy at the Subcommittee on Trade of the House Ways and Means Committee was the powerful U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and other organizations and business interest groups like the U.S. Wheat Associates. The Director of U.S. Wheat Associates, Dan Gardes, said wheat producers in his country have lost more than 500 million dollars as a result of the economic blockade of Cuba. Mr. Gardes said it was worrisome that one of the greatest barriers confronting U.S. producers are the trade sanctions adopted by the U.S. government. Richard E. O'Leary, of the US Chamber of Commerce, said the embargo is not only causing immense suffering for the Cuban people, but is also limiting the capacity of U.S. investments. Further hearings on this issue will be held at the end of the month in the House Committee on International Relations, although the precise date has not been set. WIDESPREAD SUPPORT FOR CUBA'S INCORPORATION AS FULL MEMBER OF GROUP OF AFRICAN, CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC NATIONS Bridgetown, May 8(RHC)-- In Barbados, there has been widespread support for Cuba's incorporation as a full member of the group of African, Caribbean and Pacific nations -- the ACP. Upon inaugurating Thursday the 23rd European Union-ACP joint session in this Caribbean country, the Prime Minister of Barbados -- Owen Arthur -- said that hopefully Cuba would soon become member number 72. Cuba is currently participating as an observer. A Cuban delegation headed by Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina participated in the two-day gathering, which began late Thursday, aimed at drawing up the agenda for the September meeting in Brussels to update the Lome Convention -- which gives preferential trade status to Europe's former colonies. Besides support from representatives in Barbados of Caribbean, African and Pacific nations, Spain, Great Britain, France and Italy came out in favor of Cuba's participation in this important forum. The Cuban Foreign Minister told the local press that Cuba wants to contribute to the drawing up of an agenda of opportunities and fair conditions that will allow Third World countries to develop their full potential. Robaina said Cuba's participation in the forum is an expression of the island's growing ties with the Caribbean, Africa and the Pacific, as well as its willingness to give a boost to dialogue and cooperation with the European Union. Meanwhile, the representatives of African, Caribbean and Pacific nations in Barbados have issued warning signals concerning the European Union's conditions and posture for the upcoming talks on the Lome Convention. Barbadian Prime Minister Owen Arthur said the EU's tendency points more towards dictates than dialogue. Jean Ping, Tourism Minister of Gabon -- and president of the ACP's Council of Ministers -- said the political dialogue with the EU should not be a monologue based on impositions. WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION'S INVITATION TO PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO TO ATTEND 50TH ANNIVERSARY CEREMONY IS AN HONOR Havana, May 8(RHC)-- Cuba's Health Minister Carlos Dotres stated that the invitation extended to President Fidel Castro to attend the 50th anniversary ceremony of the World Health Organization in Geneva is "a recognition of the island's health care system." Dotres stated that the invitation is an honor for a country that has been blockaded for the last 40 years and whose health care system has been severely affected. Dotres added that health is a human being's principal human right including one's physical, mental and social health. The Cuban health minister leaves on today for Geneva, where he will take part in a ministerial meeting that will discuss health care on the threshold of the 21st century. The Geneva gathering runs from the 11th to the 16th of this month. CUBA WOULD NOT OPPOSE SELLING ITS VACCINES TO THE UNITED STATES Havana, May 8(RHC)-- Cuban Foreign Ministry spokesman Alejandro Gonzalez affirmed that Cuba will not oppose selling its anti-meningitis type B vaccine to the United States. Referring to a U.S. pharmaceutical company's request to the White House to study the possibility of purchasing the Cuban vaccine, Gonzalez said that Americans would also benefit from normal exchange and commercial relations between the two countries. The Cuban foreign minister spokesperson added that Washington's nearly 40 year blockade against Cuba has limited exchanges between the peoples of both nations. Gonzalez pointed out that the U.S. punishes those who do business with Cuba, "never stopping to think that some products can save lives." CUBAN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT MINSTER SAYS PROGRESS IS BEING MADE IN THE CAUTO RIVER BASIN Havana, May 8(RHC)-- Cuban Minister of Science, Technology and the Environment, Rosa Elena Simeon, has announced that the progressive deterioration of the Cauto River Basin in the island's Granma province, has been halted thanks to the measures being taken to reforest and decontaminate the area. The Cuban official was speaking during a visit to the island's eastern province of Granma. She added that what is most important now is to restore natural health to the damaged sites. Rosa Elena Simeon stressed that the ecosystem's recovery will not occur overnight. She explained that it will take at least four to ten years until the area is completely recovered. She pointed out that Cuban authorities must first manage to stop the deterioration process in the Cauto River Basin, a process which has already begun. All these efforts, stressed the Cuban minister, are in compliance with the accords agreed to at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. DESPITE WASHINGTON'S BLOCKADE, CUBA HAS COMMERCIAL TIES WITH OVER 140 COUNTRIES Havana, May 8(RHC)-- Despite Washington's blockade against Cuba and its attempts to tighten that blockade, international commercial ties with Cuba have increased in recent years. Over 140 nations currently have commercial relations with the island. According to Foreign Trade Minister Ricardo Cabrisas, the island has systematically increased its relations with other nations and there are over 300 joint ventures currently operating on the island. Cabrisas said that this is further evidence that the international community rejects Washington's anti-Cuba policy. He added that the effects of the Helms Burton Law are real and are seen when Cuba attempts to do business with U.S. subsidiaries in third nations, especially when that business concerns purchasing food and medicines. Cuba's foreign trade minister stressed that this creates obstacles and problems for Cuba's economic development. But despite this, concluded the Cuban official, the island has been able to slowly but surely recover from its economic difficulties. [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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