Radio Havana Cuba, August 24, 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 Tuesday, August 24, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- CUBA OFFICIALLY JOINS ASSOCIATION OF LATIN AMERICAN INTEGRATION 2.- WORLD AND PAN AMERICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS PRAISE CUBA'S ACHIEVEMENTS 3.- DELEGATION OF CUBAN LAWYERS VISITS RUSSIA 4.- CUBA WILL SOON EXPORT LIVE LOBSTERS 5.- MUSICIANS SET TO TAKE PART IN 13th ANNUAL BENNY MORE FESTIVAL CUBA OFFICIALLY JOINS ASSOCIATION OF LATIN AMERICAN INTEGRATION Montevideo, August 24(RHC)-- Cuban Foreign Trade Minister Ricardo Cabrisas is in Uruguay, heading the island's delegation to the official ceremony marking Cuba's incorporation as a member of the Association of Latin American Integration, ALADI. The historic event, set for Thursday, is further evidence of a firm willingness to work toward integration -- which has led the island to strengthen its economic, political and commercial ties with other Central American and Caribbean nations in recent years. The Association of Latin American Integration was created in August 1980 under the Montevideo Treaty -- with the aim of establishing a Latin American common market that regulates inter- regional trade and economic cooperation among member nations and other countries of the region. Cuba has enjoyed the status of Permanent Observer in ALADI since the organization was formed and will now become its twelfth member nation -- joining Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. Cuban Ambassador to Uruguay, Miguel Martinez, told reporters in Montevideo that the island's incorporation into ALADI is irrefutable evidence of Latin America's rejection of Washington's policy of isolation towards the largest Caribbean island. Martinez added that as a member nation, Cuba will continue to promote Latin American integration. According to official statistics, Cuba's commercial exchange with ALADI member nations rose by 41 percent from 1989 to 1996. During his stay in Uruguay, the Cuban foreign trade minister and the delegation accompanying him will meet with ALADI officials, as well as high-ranking Uruguayan authorities and representatives from the country's business community. WORLD AND PAN AMERICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS PRAISE CUBA'S ACHIEVEMENTS Havana, August 24(RHC)-- The World Health Organization (WHO) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) have praised the Cuban National Health System and contributions made by the island's Institute of Tropical Medicine to the training of health professionals. Dr. Patricio Yepez, the representative of both organizations in Cuba, expressed his appreciation to officials from the Cuban Ministry of Public Health for what he called "an easy exchange of experiences related to primary health care." The health official also praised the island's Institute of Tropical Medicine for the professional training it provides in microbiology, virology, infectious diseases and the epidemiology of transmittable diseases. Yepez represented the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization during the opening ceremony of the 7th International Seminar on Dengue, which is currently underway in the Cuban capital. The training seminar is being attended by 54 specialists from 11 nations, most of them coming from Latin America and the United States. Dr. Raul Perez, from the Cuban Institute of Tropical Medicine stated that there are over 65,000 doctors in Cuba -- one for every 175 inhabitants. Perez also pointed to the low infant mortality rate on the island -- 6.3 for every 1000 live births -- comparable to that of developed nations. DELEGATION OF CUBAN LAWYERS VISITS RUSSIA Moscow, August 24(RHC)-- Cuban Deputy Attorney General and President of the island's Military Court, Colonel Felipe Aleman Cruz, met Tuesday with his Russian counterpart, Colonel-General Yuri Diumin. Aleman Cruz is heading a delegation of Cuban lawmakers on a working visit in Moscow to exchange experiences in the judicial field. This is the first visit of high-ranking Cuban judicial officials to Moscow. CUBA WILL SOON EXPORT LIVE LOBSTERS Havana, August 24(RHC)-- Cuba plans to export 50 percent of its live lobster fishery by the year 2000. Last year, the island exported only 15 percent of its total fishery -- amounting to 1,500 tons of live lobsters and bringing in revenues of 20 million dollars. According to sources from the island's Ministry of Fisheries, the total weight of 1999's catch will reach over 10,000 tons. The main importers of Cuban lobsters are Japan, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, followed by France, Italy and Spain. MUSICIANS SET TO TAKE PART IN 13th ANNUAL BENNY MORE FESTIVAL Havana, August 24(RHC)-- Some 1,500 Cuban and foreign musicians will participate in the 13th Edition of the Benny More Musical Festival set for September 8th through the 12th. The annual music event will take place in Havana and Santa Isabel de las Lajas, located in south central Cienfuegos province, where renowned Cuban musician Benny More was born. This year's festival will be dedicated to the 80th birthday anniversary of the musician who was known as "El Barbaro del Ritmo" and will gather together musicians from the United States, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Spain, Panama and Sweden. Puerto Rican salsa singer Andy Montanez and Peruvian singer Tania Libertad top the list of foreign participants, while the island's musical delegation includes the Aragon and Irakere Orchestras and the Adalberto Alvarez y Su Son Band, among other popular groups. [c] 1999, 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. For further information, contact us at: Postal Address: Radio Havana Cuba P.O.Box 6240 Havana, Cuba Telephone: (53) (7) 791053 Fax: (53) (7) 795007 E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org WWW: http://www.radiohc.org rhc-eng-24421 1999-Aug-24 18:05:03