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, February 8, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- PRIME MINISTER OF BELIZE MAKES FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT TO CUBA 2.- CUBAN VICE PRESIDENT WRAPS UP OFFICIAL VISIT TO SPAIN 3.- EDITORIAL CALLS TEACHER'S SALARY INCREASE WELCOME NEWS 4.- IBEROAMERICAN EDUCATION MINISTERS TO MEET IN HAVANA NEXT JULY 5.- INTERNATIONAL ORBIS PROJECT ENDS VISIT TO CIEGO DE AVILA 6.- CUBA AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SIGN AGREEMENT TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION OF SCHOOL IN THE CITY OF BANI 7.- CUBA'S NATIONAL BALLET COMPANY CONTINUES SUCCESSFUL U.S. TOUR 8.- INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WILL AID TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN NORTHERN KEYS PRIME MINISTER OF BELIZE MAKES FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT TO CUBA Havana, February 8(RHC)-- The Prime Minister of Belize, Said Musa, arrived Sunday in Havana for his first official visit to the island. He was officially received today by Cuban President Fidel Castro. Musa is expected to sign several bilateral cooperation accords with Cuban authorities. Among those accords will be Cuba's construction of a prefab factory in Belize that will provide materials for the construction of 10,000 homes over the next five years. Musa, who is also the Minister of Finances and of Foreign Relations in his country, will be in Cuba through Wednesday. Media outlets in Cuba are highlighting the growing cooperation between Cuba and Belize -- as has recently occurred with many other countries in the Central American and Caribbean regions. CUBAN VICE PRESIDENT WRAPS UP OFFICIAL VISIT TO SPAIN Madrid, February 8(RHC)-- Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage wrapped up a five-day official visit to Spain following an encounter with Spanish President Jose Maria Aznar. During the visit, Lage held 16 gatherings with local Spanish leaders, as well as eight meetings with large groups of business executives. In what observers are calling an expression of the healthy state of Cuba-Spain relations following a recent diplomatic spat between the two countries, the Cuban vice president signed more than 20 contracts or letters of intent with Spanish business leaders for the setting up of mixed-enterprises on the island. He also signed with his Spanish counterpart, Rodrigo Rato, an according eliminating double taxation in trade between the two countries -- which is expected to significantly enhance bilateral economic relations. Spain is Cuba's main trading partner. On several occasion during his visit, Vice President Lage pointed out that trade with Spain has tripled in recent years, surpassing 600 million dollars in 1998. EDITORIAL CALLS TEACHER'S SALARY INCREASE WELCOME NEWS Havana, February 8(RHC)-- Monday's edition of the weekly newspaper Trabajadores says that the salary increase for teachers and workers in the education sector is welcome news. The 30 percent increase was announced by Cuban President Fidel Castro during last week's Pedagogy '99 Conference. The Cuban people, says the editorial published in Trabajadores, recognize the efforts teachers have made during the island's most difficult moments. Monday's newspaper states that the national economy is still far from reaching the production levels the island achieved in 1989. "Washington's blockade," says today's news weekly, "tightened to the point that it has become a real economic war, continues hurting Cuba's development, economic recovery and its people." Trabajadores adds that despite the economic war, Cubans have learned how to overcome the economic crisis which began with the collapse of the former Soviet Union and the socialist nations of Eastern Europe and Washington's re-enforcement of its blockade. Over the past several years, Cuba has registered a slow but sure economic recovery. The editorial in today's edition of Trabajadores affirms that a salary increase to those in the education sector is "an example of how much the Cuban people can do together with the efforts of all sectors of society." That is why it is welcome news, concludes the editorial, "because we can compensate one of the island's most selfless and generous workers -- the teacher. IBEROAMERICAN EDUCATION MINISTERS TO MEET IN HAVANA NEXT JULY Havana, February 8(RHC)-- Education ministers from the Iberoamerican countries will meet in Havana next July with the objective of analyzing the main challenges the sector will have to face in the next millennium. Cuban Education Minister Luis Ignacio Gomez told journalists that authorities expect the meeting will serve as an opportunity to discuss globalization and the economic crisis that affect the world's markets. Local sources reveal that the meeting of Iberoamerican Education Ministers will take place before the Iberoamerican Summit, slated for Havana in November. INTERNATIONAL ORBIS PROJECT ENDS VISIT TO CIEGO DE AVILA Ciego de Avila, February 8(RHC)-- The International Orbis Project as ended a visit to the central province of Ciego de Avila after performing surgery on more than 50 people and training over 360 different specialists. The team of ophthalmologists, nurses, engineers and other experts from 13 countries trained Cuban specialists on the latest scientific and technological advances related to eye ailments. Of the over 300 patients in the central region of the island examined for glaucoma and other ailments, 32 adults and 22 children were treated with laser therapy. In this third visit by the non-governmental Orbis Project, its personnel made an important donation worth more than 50,000 dollars, including medicines, surgical instruments and videos of surgical procedures. The team of doctors and specialists will return to the central province of Ciego de Avila in two years to create an international reference center against blindness which will help train ophthalmologists from Central America and the Caribbean. CUBA AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SIGN AGREEMENT TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION OF SCHOOL IN THE CITY OF BANI Santo Domingo, February 8(RHC)-- Cuba and the Dominican Republic will sign an agreement to begin the construction of a politechnical institute in the city of Bani. Cuba's Higher Education Minister Fernando Vecino Alegret is currently in Santo Domingo to sign the accord with Dominican Education Secretary Ligia Amada Melo. Both government officials will be present when the first symbolic cornerstone is laid for the institute. The activity is important for both countries given that Maximo Gomez, one of Cuba's most important independence fighters against Spanish colonialism, was born in that Dominican city. During his visit to the Dominican Republic last August, Cuban President Fidel Castro ratified the island's commitment to build a school in Bani. CUBA'S NATIONAL BALLET COMPANY CONTINUES SUCCESSFUL U.S. TOUR Havana, February 8(RHC)-- This weekend's performance by Cuba's National Ballet Company in Los Angeles was completely sold out. The ballet troupe, performing at the Wiltern Theater, received a standing ovation after presenting the classic Gisselle, directed by the ballet's founder, Alicia Alonso. The troupe has also performed in Tucson, Arizona and Palm Desert in the state of California. The Cuban National Ballet Company is still scheduled to perform in San Francisco, New York and other major cities as part of a U.S. tour. INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WILL AID TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN NORTHERN KEYS Havana, February 8(RHC)-- The President of Cuba'a Civil Aeronautics Institute, Rogelio Acevedo, said that the development of tourism in the northern keys of central Ciego de Avila province requires an international airport. Scheduled to begin construction in May, the airport will include a 2800 meter runway and will be able to offer services to any type of commercial plane. It is expected that, when completed, as many as one million 200,000 travellers will use the airport each year. [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 From nyt@blythe.org Mon Feb 8 19:29:08 1999 Return-Path: nyt@blythe.org Received: from nyxfer.blythe.org (nyxfer.blythe.org [199.170.132.3]) by ursula.blythe.org (8.8.4/8.6.12) with ESMTP id TAA19418; Mon, 8 Feb 1999 19:29:08 -0500 Received: (from nyt@localhost) by nyxfer.blythe.org (8.8.4/8.6.12) id TAA20256; Mon, 8 Feb 1999 19:29:08 -0500 From: NY Transfer News Collective Message-Id: <199902090029.TAA20256@nyxfer.blythe.org> Subject: Radio Havana Cuba, Monday, February 8, 1999 To: rhc-eng@nyxfer.blythe.org Date: Mon, 8 Feb 1999 19:29:07 -0500 (EST) X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL25] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Status: O 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, February 8, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- PRIME MINISTER OF BELIZE MAKES FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT TO CUBA 2.- CUBAN VICE PRESIDENT WRAPS UP OFFICIAL VISIT TO SPAIN 3.- EDITORIAL CALLS TEACHER'S SALARY INCREASE WELCOME NEWS 4.- IBEROAMERICAN EDUCATION MINISTERS TO MEET IN HAVANA NEXT JULY 5.- INTERNATIONAL ORBIS PROJECT ENDS VISIT TO CIEGO DE AVILA 6.- CUBA AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SIGN AGREEMENT TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION OF SCHOOL IN THE CITY OF BANI 7.- CUBA'S NATIONAL BALLET COMPANY CONTINUES SUCCESSFUL U.S. TOUR 8.- INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WILL AID TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN NORTHERN KEYS PRIME MINISTER OF BELIZE MAKES FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT TO CUBA Havana, February 8(RHC)-- The Prime Minister of Belize, Said Musa, arrived Sunday in Havana for his first official visit to the island. He was officially received today by Cuban President Fidel Castro. Musa is expected to sign several bilateral cooperation accords with Cuban authorities. Among those accords will be Cuba's construction of a prefab factory in Belize that will provide materials for the construction of 10,000 homes over the next five years. Musa, who is also the Minister of Finances and of Foreign Relations in his country, will be in Cuba through Wednesday. Media outlets in Cuba are highlighting the growing cooperation between Cuba and Belize -- as has recently occurred with many other countries in the Central American and Caribbean regions. CUBAN VICE PRESIDENT WRAPS UP OFFICIAL VISIT TO SPAIN Madrid, February 8(RHC)-- Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage wrapped up a five-day official visit to Spain following an encounter with Spanish President Jose Maria Aznar. During the visit, Lage held 16 gatherings with local Spanish leaders, as well as eight meetings with large groups of business executives. In what observers are calling an expression of the healthy state of Cuba-Spain relations following a recent diplomatic spat between the two countries, the Cuban vice president signed more than 20 contracts or letters of intent with Spanish business leaders for the setting up of mixed-enterprises on the island. He also signed with his Spanish counterpart, Rodrigo Rato, an according eliminating double taxation in trade between the two countries -- which is expected to significantly enhance bilateral economic relations. Spain is Cuba's main trading partner. On several occasion during his visit, Vice President Lage pointed out that trade with Spain has tripled in recent years, surpassing 600 million dollars in 1998. EDITORIAL CALLS TEACHER'S SALARY INCREASE WELCOME NEWS Havana, February 8(RHC)-- Monday's edition of the weekly newspaper Trabajadores says that the salary increase for teachers and workers in the education sector is welcome news. The 30 percent increase was announced by Cuban President Fidel Castro during last week's Pedagogy '99 Conference. The Cuban people, says the editorial published in Trabajadores, recognize the efforts teachers have made during the island's most difficult moments. Monday's newspaper states that the national economy is still far from reaching the production levels the island achieved in 1989. "Washington's blockade," says today's news weekly, "tightened to the point that it has become a real economic war, continues hurting Cuba's development, economic recovery and its people." Trabajadores adds that despite the economic war, Cubans have learned how to overcome the economic crisis which began with the collapse of the former Soviet Union and the socialist nations of Eastern Europe and Washington's re-enforcement of its blockade. Over the past several years, Cuba has registered a slow but sure economic recovery. The editorial in today's edition of Trabajadores affirms that a salary increase to those in the education sector is "an example of how much the Cuban people can do together with the efforts of all sectors of society." That is why it is welcome news, concludes the editorial, "because we can compensate one of the island's most selfless and generous workers -- the teacher. IBEROAMERICAN EDUCATION MINISTERS TO MEET IN HAVANA NEXT JULY Havana, February 8(RHC)-- Education ministers from the Iberoamerican countries will meet in Havana next July with the objective of analyzing the main challenges the sector will have to face in the next millennium. Cuban Education Minister Luis Ignacio Gomez told journalists that authorities expect the meeting will serve as an opportunity to discuss globalization and the economic crisis that affect the world's markets. Local sources reveal that the meeting of Iberoamerican Education Ministers will take place before the Iberoamerican Summit, slated for Havana in November. INTERNATIONAL ORBIS PROJECT ENDS VISIT TO CIEGO DE AVILA Ciego de Avila, February 8(RHC)-- The International Orbis Project as ended a visit to the central province of Ciego de Avila after performing surgery on more than 50 people and training over 360 different specialists. The team of ophthalmologists, nurses, engineers and other experts from 13 countries trained Cuban specialists on the latest scientific and technological advances related to eye ailments. Of the over 300 patients in the central region of the island examined for glaucoma and other ailments, 32 adults and 22 children were treated with laser therapy. In this third visit by the non-governmental Orbis Project, its personnel made an important donation worth more than 50,000 dollars, including medicines, surgical instruments and videos of surgical procedures. The team of doctors and specialists will return to the central province of Ciego de Avila in two years to create an international reference center against blindness which will help train ophthalmologists from Central America and the Caribbean. CUBA AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SIGN AGREEMENT TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION OF SCHOOL IN THE CITY OF BANI Santo Domingo, February 8(RHC)-- Cuba and the Dominican Republic will sign an agreement to begin the construction of a politechnical institute in the city of Bani. Cuba's Higher Education Minister Fernando Vecino Alegret is currently in Santo Domingo to sign the accord with Dominican Education Secretary Ligia Amada Melo. Both government officials will be present when the first symbolic cornerstone is laid for the institute. The activity is important for both countries given that Maximo Gomez, one of Cuba's most important independence fighters against Spanish colonialism, was born in that Dominican city. During his visit to the Dominican Republic last August, Cuban President Fidel Castro ratified the island's commitment to build a school in Bani. CUBA'S NATIONAL BALLET COMPANY CONTINUES SUCCESSFUL U.S. TOUR Havana, February 8(RHC)-- This weekend's performance by Cuba's National Ballet Company in Los Angeles was completely sold out. The ballet troupe, performing at the Wiltern Theater, received a standing ovation after presenting the classic Gisselle, directed by the ballet's founder, Alicia Alonso. The troupe has also performed in Tucson, Arizona and Palm Desert in the state of California. The Cuban National Ballet Company is still scheduled to perform in San Francisco, New York and other major cities as part of a U.S. tour. INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WILL AID TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN NORTHERN KEYS Havana, February 8(RHC)-- The President of Cuba'a Civil Aeronautics Institute, Rogelio Acevedo, said that the development of tourism in the northern keys of central Ciego de Avila province requires an international airport. Scheduled to begin construction in May, the airport will include a 2800 meter runway and will be able to offer services to any type of commercial plane. It is expected that, when completed, as many as one million 200,000 travellers will use the airport each year. [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