Radio Havana Cuba, August 31, 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 31, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- ANOTHER U.S. CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION ARRIVES IN CUBA TO EXPLORE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES 2.- CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER FELIPE PEREZ ROQUE TO ATTEND SWEARING-IN CEREMONY OF PANAMANIAN PRESIDENT-ELECT 3.- CUBA AND VENEZUELA SIGN NEW ECONOMIC AGREEMENT 4.- SPAIN'S ECONOMY MINISTER ARRIVES IN HAVANA 5.- HONDURAS AND CUBA WILL SIGN AN AGREEMENT TO EXTEND PRESENCE OF CUBAN MEDICAL PERSONNEL 6.- STUDENTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CHARLESTON WILL STUDY IN CUBA 7.- CUBAN COMPOSER AND DIRECTOR LEO BROUWER HOSPITALIZED IN SPAIN 8.- RAP ARTISTS FROM CUBA AND THE UNITED STATES PERFORM IN HAVANA ANOTHER U.S. CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION ARRIVES IN CUBA TO EXPLORE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Havana, August 31(RHC)-- A U.S. congressional representative from Texas is leading a group of American rice farmers who arrived in Cuba late Monday. Representative Nick Lampson, a Democrat who supports pending legislation to lift Washington's blockade on food and medicine sales to Cuba, stated upon his arrival at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport that he was "thrilled to be here." Representative Lampson said he was anxious to take advantage of every moment of his visit to learn about Cuba and about what he and his delegation can do to enhance relations between Washington and Havana. Steve Pringle, Legislative Director of the Texas Farm Bureau, is accompanying the lawmaker on the nine-member trade mission -- exploring the possibilities for Texas rice farmers to place their product on the Cuban market. Lampson's delegation joins two others currently visiting the island -- those of Representative Danny Davis, a Democrat from Illinois, and Samford Bishop, a Democrat from Georgia and member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Davis has taken an interest in Cuba's public health care system. The Illinois Democrat said he was interested "philosophically and practically" in normalizing relations with Cuba. Lampson, Davis and Bishop are among more than a dozen U.S. lawmakers who have visited Cuba since the Clinton administration announced measures to increase personal contacts between Americans and Cubans while leaving the blockade intact. But the vast majority of those lawmakers have come out in support of at least a partial lifting of the blockade. Two weeks ago, the Senate's Democratic leader spoke out strongly for easing restrictions on food and medicine sales to Cuba after returning from a weekend visit to Havana that included a seven-hour meeting with Cuban President Fidel Castro. Senate Minority Leader Thomas Daschle of South Dakota and Senator Byron Dorgan, a Democrat from North Dakota, visited Cuba just nine days after the Senate overwhelmingly voted to allow essentially unrestricted food and medicine sales to the island. The vote came amid increasing pressure from U.S. farmers to open markets. The Texas delegation's five-day visit will include meetings with Cuban farmers, officials in the Foreign Affairs and Agriculture Ministries and the head of the U.S. Interests Section in the Cuban capital. Before leaving Washington, Representative Lampson stated that he did not believe the United States should ever use sanctions on food and medicine as a foreign policy tool. CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER FELIPE PEREZ ROQUE TO ATTEND SWEARING-IN CEREMONY OF PANAMANIAN PRESIDENT-ELECT Havana, August 31(RHC)-- Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque will attend the swearing-in ceremony of Panamanian President-elect Mireya Moscoso on Wednesday. At the inauguration of Panama's first woman president, the heads of state of the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Venezuela will also be present. Meanwhile, the Panamanian president-elect has insisted that her government will not negotiate the continued presence of U.S. military bases in her country. Moscoso also rejected press reports concerning Washington's use of Panamanian airfields in the war on drugs -- stating that any eventual agreement in that area will be submitted to popular referendum. CUBA AND VENEZUELA SIGN NEW ECONOMIC AGREEMENT Montevideo, August 31(RHC)-- Cuba and Venezuela have signed an economic agreement aimed at broadening and improving the integration process and promoting cooperation between the two countries. The accord is the first that Cuba has signed since becoming a full member of the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI) last week. The agreement between Cuba and Venezuela was signed at the offices of the Latin American Integration Association in Montevideo, Uruguay. It replaces the Montevideo Treaty, signed in 1980 -- before Cuba joined the regional organization. SPAIN'S ECONOMY MINISTER ARRIVES IN HAVANA Havana, August 31(RHC)-- Spain's Economy Minister, Rodrigo Rato, has arrived in Havana to participate in the Second Iberoamerican Meeting of Economic and Finance Ministers which gets underway tomorrow, Wednesday. During his visit, Rato will meet with Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage and with the President of the Cuban Central Bank, Francisco Soberon. The Spanish economy minister will also meet with leaders and business executives from Iberoamerican countries. HONDURAS AND CUBA WILL SIGN AN AGREEMENT TO EXTEND PRESENCE OF CUBAN MEDICAL PERSONNEL Tegucigalpa, August 31(RHC)-- Honduras and Cuba are scheduled to sign an agreement extending the presence of Cuban medical personnel in that Central American nation. Honduran Foreign Minister Roberto Flores announced that the document will be signed by the head of the Cuban Interests Section in Tegucigalpa, Ruben Chavez. The Cuban medical brigade is offering its services free-of-charge in remote and indigenous communities of Honduras where, in many cases, there have been no doctors or nurses. The Honduran Congress recently paid tribute to the Cuban internationalists, who have treated some 300,000 patients and performed more than 4000 surgeries. STUDENTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CHARLESTON WILL STUDY IN CUBA Charleston, August 31(RHC)-- A group of students from the University of Charleston in the U.S. State of South Carolina are planning to spend next summer studying in Havana. According to the Director of the university's Department of International Education, Jack Parsons, the University of Charleston has received a U.S. Treasury Department license to send a group of their students to the University of Havana in the Cuban capital. Some 20 students will study Spanish as well as the Cuban economy, culture and politics from May 19th through June 15th next year. The Director of the Latin American and Caribbean Study Program from the University of Charleston, Doug Friedman, said that it's important for his students to learn about Cuba and clear up any misunderstandings they might have as a result of U.S. media disinformation about the island. He added that the educational exchange will be a useful tool to help break the barrier between both nations. CUBAN COMPOSER AND DIRECTOR LEO BROUWER HOSPITALIZED IN SPAIN Cordoba, August 31(RHC)-- Renowned composer and orchestra director Leo Brouwer is in satisfactory condition in Spain after suffering a heart attack. According to his doctors, the 60-year- old musician was unaware of any heart problems and led a relatively normal life. Leo Brouwer -- a leading member of the Cuban New Song Movement of the 1960's -- has directed orchestras in Mexico City, Berlin, Glasgow and London and is currently the Director of the Cordoba Orchestra in Spain. RAP ARTISTS FROM CUBA AND THE UNITED STATES PERFORM IN HAVANA Havana, August 31(RHC)-- Rap artists from Cuba and the United States performed in Havana during a weekend music festival. Thousands of people enthusiastically welcomed the two U.S. groups --Common Sense and Crossfader -- for promoting cultural exchanges between the two countries. The American groups performed with some 20 Cuban rap artists during the music festival that was held in Alamar, a residential area located east of Havana. The audience gave the U.S. guests a standing ovation when they read a statement condemning Washington's nearly 40-year-old blockade against the island and expressed their support for academic, cultural and sports exchanges between both countries. [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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