Radio Havana Cuba, Monday, April 12, 1999 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit 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, April 12, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO MEETS WITH BRITISH TRADE MINISTER 2.- PORTUGAL'S ECONOMY MINISTER PRAISES VISIT TO CUBA 3.- PANAMANIAN INDUSTRY AND TRADE MINISTER ARRIVES IN CUBA 4.- CUBA'S EASTERN PROVINCES SUFFER SEVERE DROUGHT 5.- FOREST FIRE IN WESTERN-MOST PROVINCE OF PINAR DEL RIO 6.- SOLAR ENERGY USED IN REMOTE AREAS OF PINAR DEL RIO CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO MEETS WITH BRITISH TRADE MINISTER Havana, April 12(RHC)-- British Trade Minister Brian Wilson met with Cuban President Fidel Castro on Sunday before ending an official visit to the island. The British trade minister took part in the inauguration of the first direct flight by British Airlines from London to Havana on Saturday. Brian Wilson noted that this is an important step in broadening bilateral relations with the island. For his part, Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage stressed that the direct flights by British Airways will help increase British tourism to Cuba. PORTUGAL'S ECONOMY MINISTER PRAISES VISIT TO CUBA Havana, April 12(RHC)-- Portuguese Economy Minister Joaquin Pina Moura characterized his five-day visit to the island as "very good." The Portuguese official participated in two seminars regarding investment possibilities on the island and met with his Cuban counterpart, Jose Luis Rodriguez, as well as Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina and other government officials. Joaquin Pina Moura headed a delegation of business executives to the island which ended on Sunday. During his stay, Portugal's economy minister signed various bilateral accords in the fields of trade and the economy. PANAMANIAN INDUSTRY AND TRADE MINISTER ARRIVES IN HAVANA Havana, April 12(RHC)-- Panama's Industry and Trade Minister Raul Hernandez Lopez is currently in Cuba, heading a delegation aimed at strengthening commercial relations with the island. Upon his arrival at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport, the Panamanian official said that he is optimistic that his Cuban counterparts will offer a wide variety of investment possibilities. Raul Hernandez Lopez will sign an agreement for the promotion and protection of investments, to be held at the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment. The Panamanian delegation is also scheduled to visit Havana's Biotechnology Center and one of the Cuban capital's Free Trade Zones among other places of interest. CUBA'S EASTERN PROVINCES SUFFER SEVERE DROUGHT Havana, April 12(RHC)-- Cuban Agriculture Minister Alfredo Jordan told journalists that the drought situation in the eastern part of the island is "extremely critical." During a tour of those areas over the weekend, Jordan said that thousands of wells are without water, forcing local authorities to transport water by truck to nearly 300,000 head of cattle. FOREST FIRE IN WESTERN-MOST PROVINCE OF PINAR DEL RIO Pinar del Rio, April 12(RHC)-- A huge forest fire is into its fourth day in Cuba's western region, destroying pine and eucalypti trees. The fire has affected some 4000 hectares of forests in Pinar del Rio's western-most region. According to local government authorities, although the fire is now under control, there has been considerable ecological damage and great economic losses. Many of the pine trees destroyed were planted some 20 years ago. Fortunately, there have been no reports of injuries due to the forest fire in Pinar del Rio. SOLAR ENERGY USED IN REMOTE AREAS OF PINAR DEL RIO Havana, April 12(RHC)-- Nine family doctors' offices located in the island's most remote areas of western Pinar del Rio province will soon enjoy electricity by means of solar energy. In Pinar del Rio, there are currently eight other centers run by solar energy, among them a social club for people that live in remote areas, a meteorological station in San Antonio, an hydraulic plant in La Palma and a restaurant in Cayo Jutia, all located in the western-most region of the island. Environmental analysts report that Cuba is making tremendous strides in the use of renewable energy. Cuban authorities insist that solar and other alternative sources must be employed due to the lack of fossil fuels and the need to protect our environment for future generations.  [c] 1999, 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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