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, January 12, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO MEETS WITH PRESIDENT OF INTERPARLIAMENTARY UNION 2.- FORMER U.S. LAWMAKERS VISIT THE ISLAND 3.- CUBA AND THE BASQUE AUTONOMOUS REGION NEGOTIATE PROJECTS AIMED AT IMPROVING THE ISLAND'S FLEET 4.- RAUL CASTRO CONGRATULATES AGRICULTURAL WORKERS FOR THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS IN 1998 5.- JURY FOR CASA DE LAS AMERICAS LITERARY PRIZE IS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED 6.- PRESIDENT OF CUBAN PARLIAMENT MEETS WITH COUNTERPART FROM MADRID'S AUTONOMOUS ASSEMBLY 7.- COLOMBIAN GOVERNMENT DELEGATION ARRIVES IN CUBA 8.- CUBANS COMMEMORATE THE 130th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BURNING OF THE CITY OF BAYAMO CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO MEETS WITH PRESIDENT OF INTERPARLIAMENTARY UNION Havana, January 12(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro met in Havana on Monday with the President of the Interparliamentary Union, Spanish Miguel Angel Martinez, who is currently on an official visit to the island. After meeting with the Cuban leader for more than seven hours, Martinez told reporters in Havana that the Cuban president was interested in the proposal for the world's oldest institution to hold one of its annual assemblies on the island either in the year 2000 or 2001. The president of the Interparliamentary Union pointed out that he proposed that Cuba play a major part in the organization and urged the island to become a member of its leadership body whose current members for Latin America are Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico. He added that the Interparliamentary Union works in favor of greater efficiency of the parliamentarians and attempts to create a world parliamentary order before the current unipolar globalization. FORMER U.S. LAWMAKERS VISIT THE ISLAND Havana, January 12(RHC)--A delegation of former U.S. lawmakers is currently visiting Cuba. Headed by Louis Frey, a former Republican representative from the State of Florida and Dennis De Concini, former Democratic representative from Arizona, the delegation will meet with Cuban government officials and visit places of interest during their stay on the island. Frey and De Concini are president and vice president, respectively, of a legislative group that has attempted to modify diplomatic relations between Washington and Havana over the past three years. The U.S. delegation will be in Cuba until Saturday, the 16th. CUBA AND THE BASQUE AUTONOMOUS REGION NEGOTIATE PROJECTS AIMED AT IMPROVING THE ISLAND'S FLEET Havana, January 12(RHC)-- Cuba and the Basque Country have begun talks on several projects aimed at the construction and repair of ships in order to reconstruct the island's maritime fleet. The Cuban delegation, headed by officials of the Fishing Ministry as well as shipping experts, began their talks on Monday with Basque regional authorities and business representatives. The Cuban representatives are also interested in several projects in the field of agriculture, lobster and shrimp production as well as the capture and sale of eel. RAUL CASTRO CONGRATULATES AGRICULTURAL WORKERS FOR THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS IN 1998 Havana, January 12(RHC)-- Cuba's First Vice President and Minister of the Armed Forces, Raul Castro, congratulated workers in the urban agriculture program currently underway on the island. The program reported very positive results during 1998. Cuban Agriculture Minister Alfredo Jordan read the message to workers during the Third National Conference and expressed his hope that this year's agricultural production plan is carried out. During the event, which had the participation of delegates from across the island, the agriculture minister stated that 1998 was an historic year for agriculture, marked by hard work with few resources available. JURY FOR CASA DE LAS AMERICAS LITERARY PRIZE IS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED Havana, January 12(RHC)-- The jury that will pick the winners of the Casa de las Americas Literary Prize was officially selected on Monday. During the activity, Ecuadorian writer Jorge Enrique Adoum pointed out that no blockade or aggressions have been able to impede the Casa de las Americas Literary Prize from taking place annually. Some 342 literary works, including novels, short stories and testimonials from 18 countries, will be competing. The results of the contest will be made known on January 21st. PRESIDENT OF CUBAN PARLIAMENT MEETS WITH COUNTERPART FROM MADRID'S AUTONOMOUS ASSEMBLY Havana, January 12(RHC)-- The President of the Cuban Parliament, Ricardo Alarcon, met with his counterpart from Madrid's Autonomous Assembly, Juan Van Halem, who is currently visiting the island. During his stay in Havana, the Spanish leader will also meet with Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage and Culture Minister Abel Prieto. The President of Madrid's Autonomous Assembly is also scheduled to present a lecture on the relations between culture and politics at the Cuban Union of Artists and Writers (UNEAC). COLOMBIAN GOVERNMENT DELEGATION ARRIVES IN CUBA Havana, January 12(RHC)-- Members of a Colombian governmental delegation have arrived in Havana, just days before the scheduled visit on Thursday of President Andres Pastrana at the invitation of Cuban President Fidel Castro. The Colombian delegation is headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Clemencia Forero. Pastrana is the second Colombian president to visit Cuba in the last eight months. Former President Ernesto Samper traveled to the island in June of last year. CUBANS COMMEMORATE THE 130th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BURNING OF THE CITY OF BAYAMO Bayamo, January 12(RHC)-- With the symbolic burning of the eastern city of Bayamo, local residents today commemorated the 130th anniversary of an action in which the Cuban people were willing to give up their lives for freedom against Spanish colonialism. The activity was held at the Carlos Manuel de Cespedes Plaza de la Revolucion, named for the Father of the Homeland, and included a cultural gala with performances by country singer Liuba Maria Hebia and others. 130 years ago, the residents of Bayamo preferred to burn the city before turning it over to Spanish colonialists. [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