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 Thursday, January 21, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO CALLS ON ECONOMISTS NOT TO FORGET SMALL AND POOR NATIONS OF THE CARIBBEAN AND CENTRAL AMERICA 2.- CUBA AND ITALY REITERATE DESIRE TO CONTINUE STRENGTHENING BILATERAL RELATIONS 3.- FORENSIC EXPERTS THAT DISCOVERED REMAINS OF ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA HONORED IN HAVANA 4.- PERU PURCHASES CUBAN-MADE BIORAT TO FIGHT EPIDEMICS 5.- 187 MILLION TREES PLANTED ACROSS THE ISLAND IN 1998 6.- SANCTI SPIRITUS PROVINCE INCREASES SEAFOOD PRODUCTION CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO CALLS ON ECONOMISTS NOT TO FORGET SMALL AND POOR NATIONS OF THE CARIBBEAN AND CENTRAL AMERICA Havana, January 21(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro has called on international economists not to forget the small and poor nations of the Caribbean and Central America and their vulnerability to face a major, world financial crisis. During the third day of sessions of the International Gathering on Globalization and Development, underway in the Cuban capital, Fidel Castro said that industrialized countries are trying to turn the Caribbean into a giant free trade zone, where their companies can make huge profits money without paying taxes. One of the most applauded interventions during Wednesday's sessions was that of Brazilian Frei Betto -- a renowned promotor of Liberation Theology. Betto emphasized that the International Monetary Fund prescriptions for monetary stability at the cost of social instability is nothing short of genocide. According to organizers of the event, debates in Havana will be followed up next September in Brazil with a gathering of some 1500 economists, and in January of next year, Cuba will host a congress of Central American and Caribbean economists on the theme of globalization and Latin American integration. The international gathering of some 500 economists from more than 50 countries around the world, with another 300 Cuban experts, is slated to conclude tomorrow, Friday, in the Cuban capital. CUBA AND ITALY REITERATE DESIRE TO CONTINUE STRENGTHENING BILATERAL RELATIONS Rome, January 21(RHC)-- Cuba and Italy have reiterated their desire to continue strengthening bilateral relations with the official visit to that European nation of Cuban Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina. Robaina arrived in Rome Wednesday evening following his visit to Russia, and on Thursday held talks with his Italian counterpart, Lamberto Dini. Following the encounter, the two Foreign Ministers issued a joint communique expressing the reciprocal interest in stepping up bilateral projects in the spheres of science, technology, development assistance and culture. Last June, Dini became the first foreign minister of the European Union to visit Cuba in 30 years -- several months after the visit of Pope John Paul II. Italy is the third largest investor in Cuba, following Canada and Spain. The Cuban foreign minister is carrying out a two-day visit to the European nation. FORENSIC EXPERTS THAT DISCOVERED REMAINS OF ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA HONORED IN HAVANA Havana, January 21(RHC)-- Cuba's Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment paid special recognition to the forensic experts that found the remains of legendary guerrilla fighter Ernesto Che Guevara and his comrades, killed in combat in Bolivia more than 30 years ago. Participating in the activity to honor the Cuban specialists were Comandante of the Revolution Ramiro Valdez, the Minister of Science, Technology and the Environment, Rosa Elena Simeon and other distinguished guests. The Cuban foreign experts worked for several years before finally discovering the remains of Che and several of his comrades who were buried in Bolivia in 1967. They are continuing their work in an attempt to find the other guerrilla fighters that were under the command of Ernesto Che Guevara. PERU PURCHASES CUBAN-MADE BIORAT TO FIGHT EPIDEMICS Lima, January 21(RHC)-- Peru will purchase some 200 tons of the Cuban-made Biorat product, to eliminate rats in the country's northern region, affected by the El Nino phenomenon. According to Peru's Health Minister Carlos de Romana, this South American nation will purchase the powerful Biorat product at special prices as the result of an agreement between Lima and Havana. Cuba has agreed to allow Peru to purchase Biorat at the price of seven dollars per kilogram, as opposed to the international market price of 45 dollars. The Peruvian official said that if the rat infestation is not controlled, cases like bubonic plague, leptospirosis and other epidemics could get out of control. 187 MILLION TREES PLANTED ACROSS THE ISLAND IN 1998 Havana, January 21(RHC)-- A total of 187 million trees were planted across the island during 1998 in an effort to increased the island's forest areas. According to Deputy Agriculture Minister Fidel Ramos, the reforestation project is part of a sustainable development program that runs through the year 2015. The Cuban official added that the ministry is carrying out selective projects in areas where they are sure plants and trees will have a high survival rate. The deputy agriculture minister pointed out that the program includes environmental protection, given the importance that the forests have for human life and the biodiversity associated with the forests' ecosystem. Cuba hopes to plant more than 200 million trees during 1999. SANCTI SPIRITUS PROVINCE INCREASES SEAFOOD PRODUCTION Sancti Spiritus, January 21(RHC)-- The fishing industry in Sancti Spiritus province captured 787 tons of seafood during 1998, an increase of 19 percent in comparison with 1997. Officials say this is 73 tons more than the average amount captured over the past three decades. Fishermen from Sancti Spiritus province are the only ones in the country to catch lobsters without any type of equipment and are studying the possibility of increasing seafood production, considered to be an important contribution to the island's economy. In addition to fishing, Sancti Spiritus processes part of the catch, while the rest is exported live to other countries. According to year-end statistics, the province's fishing association closed 1998 with important economic and production achievements. [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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