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 Monday, November 2, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO CALLS ON INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND TO CARRY OUT ITS OWN ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENT 2.- PRESIDENT OF SPANISH REGIONAL GOVERNMENT OF GALICIA WRAPS UP VISIT TO THE ISLAND 3.- TOURISM IN CUBA CONTINUES TO INCREASE 4.- HAVANA'S INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR IN FULL SWING 5.- SEMINAR ON THE EURO CURRENCY BEGINS IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL 6.- FOURTH LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN FRIENDSHIP AND SOLIDARITY WITH CUBA ENCOUNTER KICKS OFF IN HAVANA 7.- CUBA PARTICIPATES IN THE 8th SAO PAULO FORUM IN MEXICAN CAPITAL 8.- HAVANA BIOTECHNOLOGY '98 CONGRESS TO TAKE PLACE LATER THIS MONTH CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO CALLS ON INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND TO CARRY OUT ITS OWN ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENT Havana, November 2(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro inaugurated Havana's 16th International Trade Fair on Sunday, calling on the International Monetary Fund to adjust its own economic policies toward the Third World. The Cuban leader said the IMF must allow countries to develop according to their possibilities and not based on policies imposed upon them by the international lending agency. During his speech to officially open the biggest trade event of the year in the Cuban capital -- with more than 400 business firms representing 75 countries -- the leader of the Cuban Revolution urged foreign companies to invest on the island. Fidel Castro pointed out that Cuba offers secure investments, without the corruption found in many other countries around the world. Following his speech, the Cuban leader visited the Galician exhibit, which was inaugurated by the President of the Spanish Autonomous Region of Galicia, Manuel Fraga. PRESIDENT OF SPANISH REGIONAL GOVERNMENT OF GALICIA WRAPS UP VISIT TO THE ISLAND Havana, November 2(RHC)-- The President of the Spanish Autonomous Region of Galicia, Manuel Fraga, concluded his six-day official visit to Cuba on Monday. Speaking with reporters at a news conference in the Cuban capital on Sunday, the visiting dignitary condemned extraterritorial legislation and called for an end to the U.S. economic blockade against the island. During his stay in Cuba, the president of the Spanish regional government of Galicia and his accompanying delegation of more than 70 business people met with representatives of the Cuban Chamber of Commerce and attended the opening of Havana's International Trade Fair. Earlier in the week, Manuel Fraga was granted the title of Honorary Doctor in Philosophy by the Santiago de Cuba-based University of Oriente. TOURISM IN CUBA CONTINUES TO INCREASE Havana, November 2(RHC)-- In line with the recent boom in tourism on the island, Cuba has welcomed 1,117,670 (one million, one hundred seventeen thousand, six hundred and seventy) international tourists as of October 23rd. The announcement was made by Cuban Tourism Minister Osmany Cienfuegos. Cienfuegos added that Cuba's fast-growing tour industry hopes to bring in one million seven hundred thousand foreign visitors next year and two million in the year 2000 -- for a growth rate of between 19 and 20 percent. Europe is Cuba's principal source of international vacationers with Italy leading as the country that sent the most tourists in 1997. Spain comes next, with France following closely behind. In terms of income, the island expects to generate 1.8 billion dollars from tourism during 1998, compared to 1.5 billion produced last year. Tourism has become Cuba's principal source of hard currency earnings -- providing 42 percent of the island's Gross National Product in 1997, while the sugar industry's share has fallen to 24 percent. HAVANA'S INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR IN FULL SWING Havana, November 2(RHC)-- Havana's International Trade Fair officially got underway Sunday with President Fidel Castro cutting the ribbon. Cuban Trade Minister Ricardo Cabrisas gave the opening address in which he noted that this 16th edition of the commercial fair is the largest ever -- with 1,427 foreign exhibitors from 75 countries and 472 Cuban companies represented. On Monday, the fair was dedicated to France -- a country that has increased its presence at the annual trade fair to 93 companies from its industrial sector, a 50 percent hike over last year. It was reported that on the fair's opening day, the French pavilion was visited by more than 400 guests -- including that country's ambassador to Cuba, Ivone Roe Doalbert. French exhibitions, which are housed in a 900-square meter pavilion, represent economic sectors including food processing, energy-production, construction and the automobile industry. Havana's 16th International Trade Fair runs through Sunday, November 8th. SEMINAR ON THE EURO CURRENCY BEGINS IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL Havana, November 2(RHC)-- An International Seminar on the EURO currency is underway in Havana with the participation of representatives from 14 central banks and over one hundred financial experts. Also attending the event, which is taking place at Havana's Convention Center, are delegates from the Latin American Economic System and directors from international economic institutions. The president of Cuba's Central Bank, Francisco Soberon, told reporters that participants will discuss the introduction of the EURO currency -- which will go into circulation on January lst. Cuban Central Bank Vice President Sergio Plascencia said that the EURO can only offer Cuba commercial advantages with Europe, as it reduces risk of exchange rates, makes purchasing easier and will increase the action radius of commercial operations. FOURTH LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN FRIENDSHIP AND SOLIDARITY WITH CUBA ENCOUNTER KICKS OFF IN HAVANA Havana, November 2(RHC)-- The Fourth Latin American and Caribbean Friendship and Solidarity with Cuba Encounter got underway Monday in Havana's Capitol building with the participation of representatives from more than 20 of the region's nations. A conference on Cuba's foreign policy topped the list on the first day's agenda and a group of international personalities from the Cuba solidarity movement were honored for their contributions to the cause of the Cuban people. CUBA PARTICIPATES IN THE 8th SAO PAULO FORUM IN MEXICAN CAPITAL Mexico City, November 2(RHC)-- Cuba's Communist Party Political Bureau member, Jose Ramon Balaguer, said that capitalism has shown itself to be incapable of solving the world's great social problems. Balaguer, who took part in the 8th Sao Paulo Forum in the Mexican capital, added that capitalism has only worsened poverty and widened social differences, pointing out that people are increasingly looking to left-wing parties for viable solutions. The Cuban leader pointed out that the fact that several left politicians have been elected to office recently is proof enough that people no longer trust the traditional right-wing parties. The Cuban representative to the Sao Paulo Forum urged left parties to unite in an attempt to make sure globalization is not neo-liberal -- but rather based on the interests and needs of the people. 180 leaders of left and center-left political parties from Latin America and the Caribbean took part in the Sao Paulo Forum, which concluded yesterday in Mexico City. HAVANA BIOTECHNOLOGY '98 CONGRESS TO TAKE PLACE LATER THIS MONTH Havana, November 2(RHC)-- Havana's Biotechnology Center is sponsoring the Havana Biotechnology '98 event, scheduled to take place from November 16th through the 21st. Over 300 delegates from more than 40 countries will participate in the gathering, which will include important representatives of the scientific community and top-level invited speakers from Latin America, Europe, Asia Africa and the United States. This year's Biotechnology '98 congress will be dedicated to trans-genesis in animals and industrial biotechnology. Havana Biotechnology '98 is aimed at promoting the rational use of the world's natural resources through the implementation of advanced techniques in biotechnology. [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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