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 Friday, January 15, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO SAYS HE WILL MAKE A RESPECTFUL, SERIOUS AND DISCREET CONTRIBUTION TO COLOMBIA'S PEACE PROCESS 2.- CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER ROBERTO ROBAINA TRAVELS TO RUSSIA ON SUNDAY 3.- INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NEO-LIBERAL GLOBALIZATION GETS UNDERWAY ON MONDAY 4.- IMPORTANT FRENCH SCIENTIST VISITS CUBA 5.- EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF UNITED NATIONS AIDS PROGRAM SAYS CUBA'S EXAMPLE CAN BE USEFUL FOR THE REGION CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO SAYS HE WILL MAKE A RESPECTFUL, SERIOUS AND DISCREET CONTRIBUTION TO COLOMBIA'S PEACE PROCESS Havana, January 15(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro has promised to make a respectful, serious and discreet contribution to Colombia's peace process. The statement came following the official reception late Thursday offered to visiting Colombian President Andres Pastrana and his high-ranking delegation. President Fidel Castro said that he will not pretend to be a protagonist or search for any self-interest in the Colombian situation. He added that the peace process will require a great deal of patience. At a news conference today in Havana, Colombian President Andres Pastrana said he looked forward to a contribution to his country's peace process from both Cuba and the United States, if the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces is in agreement. Thursday evening, the Cuban and Colombian leaders signed seven bilateral accords. The most important of these was a cooperation agreement in the prevention and control of drug trafficking. The two countries also agreed to transfer to their countries of origin nationals convicted of crimes in Cuba and Colombia. This accord will allow Cuba to send some 50 Colombians serving sentences in Cuban prisons after being convicted of drug trafficking. Cuba and Colombia also signed cooperation agreements in the fields of education, health, tourism, cultural exchange and trade. CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER ROBERTO ROBAINA TRAVELS TO RUSSIA ON SUNDAY Havana, January 15(RHC)-- The Cuban Foreign Ministry has announced that Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina will travel to Moscow on Sunday to begin a three-day official visit. During his stay, the Cuban foreign minister will hold talks with his Russian counterpart, Igor Ivanov, and will sign an agreement on bilateral scientific and cultural cooperation. Robaina is also scheduled to address a session of the Russian Institute on Latin America -- commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NEO-LIBERAL GLOBALIZATION GETS UNDERWAY ON MONDAY Havana, January 15(RHC)-- The International Conference on Neo-liberal Globalization is ready to get underway in Havana on Monday with the participation of renowned personalities from 22 countries and representatives of 16 international institutions. Participants will discuss issues such as trade, international financial institutions and the perspectives of neo-liberal globalization. Organizers of the conference have planned some 140 workshops from 31 countries. Among those who will offer presentations is the Director of the Center for Research on World Economy, Osvaldo Martinez, who will speak on neo-liberalism and the economic crisis. IMPORTANT FRENCH SCIENTIST VISITS CUBA Havana, January 15(RHC)-- French scientist Luc Montagnier, discovered of the AIDS virus, is currently visiting Cuba. Montagnier is the President of the World Foundation for Research and the Prevention of AIDS. He discovered the virus that produces the epidemic now infecting 33.4 million people in the world. The French scientist will offer a lecture at Havana's Biotechnology Center on Monday, the 18th. Cuban specialists at the Biotechnology Center have been search for an AIDS vaccine for several years. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF UNITED NATIONS AIDS PROGRAM SAYS CUBA'S EXAMPLE CAN BE USEFUL FOR THE REGION Havana, January 15(RHC)-- The Executive Director of the United Nations AIDS Program, Peter Piot, stated in Havana that one of the consequences of Washington's economic blockade against Cuba is the island's inability to purchase up-to-date medicine for its AIDS patients, which could literally save lives and improve health conditions for HIV carriers. The UN official recognized, however, that despite the blockade, the level of support that AIDS patients receive on the island cannot be compared to any other country. Peter Piot emphasized that there are many nations whose life expectancy has dropped by 15 to 20 years and the mortality rate of those under five years of age has doubled and even tripled. He stated that is precisely what happens to a country that does not prioritize its health care system. The executive director of the UN AIDS Program, currently visiting the island, stressed that the case of Cuba was quite different, referring to the fact that Cuban health authorities rapidly treated the problem before it could turn into a serious situation. He added that Cuba has done an excellent job in response to AIDS. Piot, a specialist in infectious diseases and primarily AIDS, said he believes that Cuba's program to treat HIV patients could be useful for other countries in the region. Each day, 16,000 people throughout the world are infected with the HIV virus. 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