Radio Havana Cuba, Wednesday June 16, 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 Wednesday, June 16, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- PRIME MINISTER OF BARBADOS, OWEN ARTHUR, AWARDED CUBA'S JOSE MARTI ORDER 2.- CUBA'S MINISTER OF ECONOMY PREDICTS ECONOMIC GROWTH HIGHER THAN EXPECTED 3.- OVER 16,000 NEW PROFESSIONALS WILL GRADUATE THIS YEAR IN CUBA 4.- ITALIAN MINISTER OF REGIONAL AFFAIRS MEETS WITH CUBAN AUTHORITIES 5.- CUBANA AIRLINES WILL INAUGURATE COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS TO GUATEMALA AND COSTA RICA 6.- PRESIDENT OF CUBAN PARLIAMENT ARRIVES IN PORTUGAL 7.- HIGH-RANKING CUBAN DELEGATION ATTENDS INAUGURATION OF NEW SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI PRIME MINISTER OF BARBADOS, OWEN ARTHUR, AWARDED CUBA'S JOSE MARTI ORDER Havana, June 16(RHC)-- The visiting Prime Minister of Barbados was awarded Tuesday evening with the Jose Marti Order, Cuba's highest distinction. A statement read by Jose Miyar Barrueco, Secretary of Cuba's Council of State, placed special emphasis on Bridgetown's condemnation of the 1976 terrorist attack against a Cuban civilian airliner as it took off from Barbados, killing all 73 people aboard. The statement recalled last year's inauguration in Barbados of a monument to the victims, on the occasion of Cuban President Fidel Castro's visit to that Caribbean neighbor island. Upon receiving the distinction, Prime Minister Arthur said that Jose Marti also had dreams for the Caribbean -- "dreams of peace, prosperity and the unity of the region's peoples." He stated that Marti had a vision of an Americas united in the spirit of justice and harmony. The visiting dignitary said Marti's spirit continues living in the beautiful legacy left by his poetry, a legacy -- he added -- "that remains present in the inspiration that Marti offers us in his daring devotion to truth and duty." The Barbadian prime minister said that "Barbados is united with Cuba in the common struggle to achieve the noble principles for which Marti gave his life." He said his nation also has the duty to make real Marti's dreams of a united, prosperous and peaceful Caribbean. In the company of Fidel Castro, Prime Minister Arthur had just completed a tour of Havana's Latin American School of Medicine, where both leaders spoke with some of the Central American and Caribbean students studying there free-of-charge under scholarships granted by the Cuban government. The school now has more than 1600 alumni. CUBA'S MINISTER OF ECONOMY PREDICTS ECONOMIC GROWTH HIGHER THAN EXPECTED Havana, June 16(RHC)-- The Cuban economy could experience a three to four percent growth in 1999, although authorities predict a 2.5 percent growth of the island's Gross National Product. The announcement was made by Cuban Minister of Planning and the Economy Jose Luis Rodriguez. Rodriguez said that economic growth in 1999 could be higher than expected, in large part, due to a recovery of the island's sugar industry. The Cuban official stated that sugar production this year surpassed 3.6 million tons, compared to only 3.2 million tons last year. The Cuban minister of planning and the economy also pointed to good results achieved in sectors like agriculture, construction, tourism and the non-sugar industry. OVER 16,000 NEW PROFESSIONALS WILL GRADUATE THIS YEAR IN CUBA Havana, June 16(RHC)-- Some 16,500 Cuban university graduates will join the island's labor force this year. The announcement was made by Cuban Minister of Higher Education Fernando Vecino Alegret. Many of the new professionals, Alegret said, will graduate from medical, pedagogical and technical sciences -- meeting the need for qualified workers in those sectors. The education minister announced that the end of the school-year brings the number of university graduates to 651,655 since the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in 1959. ITALIAN MINISTER OF REGIONAL AFFAIRS MEETS WITH CUBAN AUTHORITIES Havana, June 16(RHC)-- Visiting Italian Minister of Regional Affairs, Katia Bellilo, met with Cuban authorities to review the current state of bilateral relations between Cuba and Italy. Bellilo arrived in Havana Monday afternoon, to begin a ten-day official visit at the invitation of the island's Ministry of Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation. On Tuesday, the Italian minister of regional affairs met with Cuban Minister of Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation Ibrahim Ferradaz. They discussed issues related to the island's current economic situation and bilateral cooperation. The Italian official is also scheduled to meet with Cuban Communist Party's Political Bureau member Jose Ramon Balaguer and the island's Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque. CUBANA AIRLINES WILL INAUGURATE COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS TO GUATEMALA AND COSTA RICA Guatemala City, June 16(RHC)-- Cubana Airlines will begin commercial flights to Guatemala and Costa Rica beginning next Tuesday, June 22nd. The Director of Guatemala's Tourism Institute, Roberto Robles, said that the aim is to facilitate the flow of European tourists to both the Caribbean and Central America, as well as to promote a tourist package called Playa-Maya -- a joint Guatemala-Cuba project that includes visits to popular Cuban beach resorts and Guatemalan archaeological sites. PRESIDENT OF CUBAN PARLIAMENT ARRIVES IN PORTUGAL Lisbon, June 16(RHC)-- The President of Cuba's Parliament Ricardo Alarcon has arrived in Portugal to attend the 10th Conference of Leaders of Iberoamerican Legislative Bodies, set for June 17th through the 19th in Lisbon, the Portuguese capital. Participants will discuss issues of common interest related to the legislature's role in foreign policy, the Iberoamerican Information System and the performance of political parties. The conference agenda also includes debates on political fund-raising campaigns and inter-parliamentary cooperation. HIGH-RANKING CUBAN DELEGATION ATTENDS INAUGURATION OF NEW SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI Johannesburg, June 16(RHC)-- A high-ranking Cuban delegation, headed by the island's Labor and Social Security Minister Salvador Valdes, is in South Africa to attend the inauguration of Thabo Mbeki as the country's new president. The Cuban delegation was received at the Johannesburg International Airport by South African authorities, who recalled the friendship and solidarity ties that unite the peoples of Cuba and South Africa, particularly strengthened over the many years of struggle against the apartheid regime. [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 rhc-eng-8080 1999-Jun-16 17:44:43