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, May 28, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO RECEIVES VISITING PALESTINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER FAROUK KADDOUMI 2.- LEGISLATORS IN SPAIN DEMAND EXPLANATION CONCERNING RECENT WASHINGTON-EUROPEAN UNION AGREEMENT ON HELMS-BURTON 3.- DIRECTOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL SUGAR ORGANIZATION SAYS CUBA'S REACTION TO EUROPEAN UNION AND U.S. AGREEMENT ON HELMS- BURTON IS LOGICAL 4.- CUBA DENIES EXISTENCE OF AGREEMENT TO ALLOW ILLEGAL CUBAN RAFTERS WHO ARRIVED IN THE BAHAMAS TO TRAVEL TO NICARAGUA 5.- VENEZUELAN MEDIA SAYS CUBA WILL BE AN ISSUE DURING THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE ORGANIZATION AMERICAN STATES NEXT MONTH 6.- PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMISSION OF THE CUBAN PARLIAMENT VISITS ARGENTINA 7.- PANAMA'S CULTURE MINISTER SIGNS ACCORD WITH CUBAN COUNTERPART 8.- THIRD MEETING OF THE JOINT ECONOMIC-INDUSTRIAL AND SCIENTIFIC- TECHNICAL COMMISSION BETWEEN CUBA AND BOLIVIA TAKES PLACE ON THE ISLAND CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO RECEIVES VISITING PALESTINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER FAROUK KADDOUMI Havana, May 28(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro has received visiting Palestinian Foreign Minister Forouk Kaddoumi. Kaddoumi gave the Cuban leader a personal message from Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, with fraternal greetings to Fidel and "the heroic Cuban people." President Castro and the Palestinian Foreign Minister centered their private discussion on the tense situation within the framework of the Middle East peace process. In other diplomatic news, Brazilian Foreign Minister Luiz Felipe Lampreia termed as "excellent" his visit to Cuba, shortly before departing late Wednesday. As a result of his four-day official visit, said Lampreia, Brazil-Cuba relations are now "more substantial and profound." Lampreia signed four accords with his Cuban counterpart, Roberto Robaina. Among them is the extension to Cuba of a 15 million dollar line of credit, allowing the island to purchase food produced in Brazil, with flexible conditions of payment. Cuba and Brazil also signed a memorandum of understanding concerning Cuba's debt to Brazil which, according to Minister Lampreia, does not surpass 40 million dollars. The Brazilian Foreign Minister also reiterated his country's condemnation of Washington's blockade against Cuba. And in related news, Brazil's Foreign Ministry has announced that the country's PETROBRAS state oil firm -- one of the most important in South America, is going to invest in off-shore oil exploration just north of Havana. PETROBRAS reportedly has state of the art technology for this type of operation. LEGISLATORS IN SPAIN DEMAND EXPLANATION CONCERNING RECENT WASHINGTON-EUROPEAN UNION AGREEMENT ON HELMS-BURTON Madrid, May 28(RHC)-- Legislators in Spain are demanding an explanation from the government concerning the recent Washington- European Union agreement on the anti-Cuba Helms-Burton Law, according to the influential Spanish news daily "El Pais." Today's edition of the newspaper carried an extensive article asserting that the EU has bowed to pressure from Washington and that legislators are demanding an explanation before Parliament from President Jose Maria Aznar. "El Pais" carried statements from House Deputy Ignasi Guardans of the Convergence and Union Party, who said the EU's agreement to not invest in nationalized properties runs contrary to accords that Spain, France and Great Britain have signed with Cuba. Those accords recognize the expropriations carried out by the Cuban Revolution and agreed to a global compensation. Guardans insisted that international law recognizes that every state, within its own borders, can make a sovereign decision to nationalize properties as long as compensation is provided for the former owners. He said even the U.S. Supreme Court has recognized this sovereign right, in a ruling during the 1960's concerning U.S. properties confiscated in Cuba. As with the properties of other nations nationalized in Cuba, Havana offered Washington compensation. But the United States was the only country to turn down the offer. The Spanish legislator said the U.S.-EU agreement also violates a by-law currently under discussion within the European Union which would sanction any European firm that collaborates with Washington in the application of the Helms-Burton Law. DIRECTOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL SUGAR ORGANIZATION SAYS CUBA'S REACTION TO EUROPEAN UNION AND U.S. AGREEMENT ON HELMS-BURTON IS LOGICAL Havana, May 28(RHC)-- The Director of the International Sugar Organization, Peter Baron, characterized Cuba's indignation for the recent agreement between the European Union and the United States in relation to the anti-Cuban Helms-Burton Law as "just and logical." Baron made the statements during the 13th session of the International Sugar Organization Council which is taking place in the Cuban capital. He added that Washington's nearly 40-year blockade against the island has interfered with the necessary access of investment. The director of the International Sugar Organization said the anti-Cuban measure will weaken and pointed to the delegates taking part in the conference from countries which export sugar to the U.S. as a prime example. More than one hundred Cuban and foreign delegates are here in Havana to discuss the sugar industry's future in today's world. CUBA DENIES EXISTENCE OF AGREEMENT TO ALLOW ILLEGAL CUBAN RAFTERS WHO ARRIVED IN THE BAHAMAS TO TRAVEL TO NICARAGUA Havana, May 28(RHC)-- Cuba's Foreign Ministry has denied the existence of an agreement that would allow illegal Cuban rafters who arrived in the Bahamas to travel to Nicaragua. Cuban Foreign Ministry spokesman Alejandro Gonzalez said rumors of the existence of such an agreement was "the pure fantasy of Nicaraguan President Arnoldo Aleman." The Miami news daily El Nuevo Herald reported today that the ultra right-wing Cuban-American National Foundation had stated that Aleman informed the organization that the Cuban government had agreed to allow the travel to Nicaragua more than 190 rafters sent back to Cuba by authorities in Bahamas, as well as another 60 soon to be deported from Nassau back to the island. Nassau's decision to deport the illegal Cuban immigrants has sparked outrage within the CANF, which has called for a tourism boycott against the Bahamas. But observers have noted that U.S. authorities are also sending Cuban rafters back to the island as the result of an immigration accord with Cuba similar to the Cuba-Bahamas immigration accord of January 1996. Authorities in the Bahamas said they rejected Nicaragua's offer to accept the rafters because such a move could lead more Cubans to attempt to reach the shores of their country, certain that they would receive asylum in Nicaragua. The Cuban Foreign Ministry spokesman said there have been no changes in the Cuba-Bahamas immigration accord. VENEZUELAN MEDIA SAYS CUBA WILL BE AN ISSUE DURING THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE ORGANIZATION AMERICAN STATES NEXT MONTH Caracas, May 28(RHC)-- The Venezuelan dailies "El Nacional" and "El Universal" as well as Union Radio and Radio Caracas reiterated that the issue of Cuba will come up during the 28th General Assembly of the Organization of American States, the OAS, which will take place next month in the Venezuelan capital. According to Venezuela's ambassador to the OAS, Francisco Paparoni, Cuba will be the only regional nation that will not be present at the meeting. The Venezuelan media as well as top diplomats believe that a number of countries will propose that Cuba be re-admitted into the OAS, despite U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's statement, conditioning her presence at the assembly on not including the issue of Cuba's membership on the agenda. PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMISSION OF THE CUBAN PARLIAMENT VISITS ARGENTINA Buenos Aires, May 28(RHC)-- Argentinean Senator and acting-President Eduardo Menem defended Cuba's presence in all international forums. Menem spoke during the welcoming ceremony in Buenos Aires for the President of the International Relations Commission of the Cuban Parliament, Jorge Lezcano. The Argentinean senator and brother of President Carlos Menem congratulated Cuba for participating in the recent Iberoamerican Conference of Parliamentary Presidents, which took place in Uruguay. During his meeting with the Cuban official, Eduardo Menem expressed interest in the agreement between the European Union and the United States on the controversial Helms-Burton Law, which not only tightens Washington's blockade against the island but intends to punish third countries for doing business with Cuba. During his stay in Argentina, Jorge Lezcano will meet with business representatives from this South American nation. PANAMA'S CULTURE MINISTER SIGNS ACCORD WITH CUBAN COUNTERPART Havana, May 28(RHC)-- Panama's Culture Minister, Jorge Delgado, signed an accord with his Cuban counterpart Abel Prieto. The agreement will promote the cultural identity of both nations abroad and at home, which includes cultural patrimony, music, paintings, literature, archives, film, management, artist exchange and the organization of festivals and shows. The Panamanian Culture Minister said that his stay in Cuba was more than he expected. The Panamanian official also met with other cultural officials and personalities and is expected to visit the Higher Institute of Arts and other cultural centers. THIRD MEETING OF THE JOINT ECONOMIC-INDUSTRIAL AND SCIENTIFIC- TECHNICAL COMMISSION BETWEEN CUBA AND BOLIVIA TAKES PLACE ON THE ISLAND Havana, May 28(RHC)-- The Third Meeting of the Joint Economic- Industrial and Scientific-Technical Commission between Cuba and Bolivia began on Wednesday in Havana with the objective of strengthening relations between both nations. Bolivian Vice President Jorge Soruco Villanueva, who is leading his country's delegation, said Bolivia is interested in signing agreements with the island in the fields of health, the exchange of medicine and the environment. Soruco Villanueva said that during the meeting, both countries are analyzing the amount of trade and will explore new ways to expand the fraternal relations between Bolivia and Cuba. [c] 1998, Radio Habana Cuba All rights reserved Articles cannot be reproduced, reprinted or published in any system without the consent of RHC. 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