Radio Havana Cuba, Special Ibero-American Service 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 RADIO HAVANA CUBA'S VIEWPOINT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1999 Spain's King Don Juan Carlos de Borbon is in Cuba attending the 9th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government. This is the first time a Spanish monarch visits the largest island of the Antilles archipelago. Cuban authorities have also extended a special invitation to the Spanish King and Queen to make an official visit to Cuba. Bilateral relations between Spain and Cuba have experienced rapid growth in the last several years, to the point that Spain has become Cuba's principal trading partner. It's worth recalling that Latin America absorbs nearly seven percent of Spain's exports, although generating just four percent of the nation's imports. Spain currently has investments in Cuba worth 200 million dollars and participates in 72 of the 360 mixed enterprises with foreign capital set up on the Caribbean island over the last years. Most of the Spanish investments are in the tourism sector which has experienced significant growth, becoming Cuba's most important earner of hard currency. Although many Spanish investors are doing business in Cuba and new joint projects are expected to yield profitable results in the near future, new difficulties are about to emerge, from the aggressive actions of the U.S. government in line with Washington's nearly 40-year genocidal blockade against Cuba. Several Spanish and Canadian companies have already been threatened with the imposition of sanctions if they continue to defy Washington's extraterritorial Helms-Burton Law, aimed at tightening the blockade by punishing third countries doing business with Cuba. The Spanish and Canadian business community have made it clear that they will not yield to Washington's pressures. Washington's Cuba policy has been strongly rejected by the international community. Irrefutable evidence of this is the eighth consecutive vote at the United Nations General Assembly, with an ever-increasing number of countries voting in favor of a Cuban resolution against the blockade. The celebration in Cuba of the 9th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, with the presence of Spanish and Portuguese officials of the highest level, is further confirmation of the spirit of cooperation and concerted action within the Ibero-American Community. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------- OPENING SPEECH BY DR. FIDEL CASTRO RUZ, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CUBA, AT THE 9th IBERO-AMERICAN SUMMIT. HAVANA, NOVEMBER 16, 1999. Your Majesty, Excellencies, Guests, In July 1991, when the first Summit was held in Guadalajara, I could not even imagine the further development of such event. I was a strange bird there, an intruder whose life was pardoned by admission to that hall. Cuba had always been left out of every meeting on this continent. Some looked at me with curiosity and even pity. Hardly anyone believed that Cuba could withstand the collapse of the socialist camp, which led to the double blockade that would abruptly fall on our country. We were accustomed to taking part in other kinds of summits such as those of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, where radical pronouncements were made; also with Heads of State or Governments of the Socialist Countries, that never escaped the use of certain revolutionary and anti-imperialist vocabulary. We were used to the idea that it would still take a long time to have a united and integrated America. I wondered what I was doing at that Summit and what Spain and Portugal -- our former colonial powers -- were doing there, as they were members of the European Union and NATO. However, I will never forget Mexico's gesture of inviting us there, as I will forever be grateful to King Juan Carlos for his kind and respectful manner and to other leaders present there in whom I felt sincere solidarity toward the black sheep -- representing in that meeting a rebellious and tenacious people -- that thirty years before had strayed from the flock to pursue its own way and that in a matter of weeks or months would be sent to the slaughterhouse. Still, the most significant to me then was that Latin Americans were meeting for the first time without being summoned by Washington. Why was that? Historians might some day offer a reasonable explanation for the strange things that were happening. Only eight years have passed. At that time, no one mentioned globalization; not even the specialized magazines on politics and economics. The books still referred to the "Japanese miracle" and the legendary and invulnerable "Asian tigers." Russia was entering the fabulous stage of the purest democracy that the world ever knew, with a rapid and unbridled growth fostered by the prescriptions of the International Monetary Fund and Western economic wisdom. Capitalism had discovered the philosopher's stone: uninterrupted development without recession or crisis. It was the end of history. When it was felt that the summit meetings were useless, no one objected that Cuba would host the 9th Summit in 1999; Cuba would not even exist by then. That was the basic reason for which it was not difficult to leave us the task of organizing what was then little else than a utopia. It was about that time that, in a very coordinated fashion, some pundits and wise men among those who foretell the future, took to the impossible mission of persuading Cuba that it should abandon the path of revolution and socialism as the only possible alternative for survival. Advise came from all directions, but we felt otherwise and were determined to struggle. As if Aristotle himself were our tutor, we listened politely to their advise with the half-smile of a Mona Lisa and the Biblical patience of Job. History has taught us all a lesson. The importance of the Ibero-American Summits have grown tremendously. Many actions aimed at integration have been inspired, fostered and supported by them. Thousands of senior officials and experts from our countries have met and strengthened relations. The political leaders have come to know each other better and to have a clearer understanding of our respective countries' complex problems. We do not need to be summoned or receive anyone's permission to meet like a family without exclusions. Spain and Portugal have become sound and indispensable bridges with an increasingly united and integrated Europe. Relations with the Caribbean nations are developing and strengthening as well. A few years ago, no one would have thought it viable to have a Summit conference as was held in Rio de Janeiro with Caribbean, Latin American and European Community nations in attendance. In my view, the efforts undertaken at the Guadalajara Summit made it possible. Today, there is the opportunity to take up a united defense of our vital interests and to negotiate together the crucial issues of our times. If we act separately, we could be devoured -- but together, no one will be powerful enough to devour all of us. New discrepancies and different conflicts arise between Latin American countries but none would resist the common will to resolve them. Agreements on border conflicts, some of which date back for centuries, like those of Peru and Ecuador and between Argentina and Chile are examples of this. The complex and difficult world coming upon us, where our countries' integrity and survival is at stake, can only be sustained by our peoples joining closely together. I wanted to be very sincere in recounting this story. In opening this 9th Summit, I did not want to touch on our main subject matter, that is: "Ibero-America and the international financial situation in a globalized economy," proposed by Cuba in Oporto. At that time, some took it for granted that at this point in 1999, there would not be any symptoms of a crisis. We rather leave it to you to open the debate on the central issue. As hosts of the 9th Summit, we have pursued some basic principles: -This Summit is not Cuba's; above all, it is the Summit of the visiting Heads of State and Government. -It is our duty to create the best possible conditions for its development. -There shall be a minimum of official functions and a maximum of work in the limited time available. -We shall avoid prominence. -We shall elude any advantages as hosts. -We shall place other countries' problems and interests above our own. -Everyone shall be accorded utmost consideration and respect, regardless of past or present differences. -We shall work ceaselessly. -Real success will come from making this a fruitful and productive Summit. The results of this conduct are tangible. There have been countless meetings in our country prior to the Summit, with thousands of senior officials and experts in attendance. Every possible subject has been discussed. All documents have been elaborated by consensus. All the necessary facilities have been created. Every detail and every interest expressed by the Heads of State and Government, their efficient advisors, assistants and staffs have been attended to and solved. New subjects will be brought up. There will be contradictions and debates. When the Heads of State and Government meet all by ourselves in the afternoon for lunch and afterwards, we shall advance towards the solution of our differences. Our program will be flexible. All the residences, meeting halls, the media room and other areas related to the Summit are nearby. Any flaws or errors can be attributed to our inability but not to negligence or lack of concern. I thank you in advance for your understanding and beg your forgiveness. Cuba and its entire people are at your service. Thank you very much. ------------------------------- DECLARATION OF HAVANA SIGNED BY IBERO-AMERICAN HEADS OF STATE TUESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 16, 1999 HAVANA, CUBA The Declaration of Havana was signed by the heads of State and governments present in the Cuban capital for the 9th Ibero-American Summit. In the document, leaders of Latin America, Spain and Portugal reiterated their commitment to abide by the principles of sovereignty, non-intervention, self-determination, the peaceful settlement of conflicts and the right of all peoples to build a political system of their own choice, in peace, stability and justice. The Declaration of Havana also reaffirms the governments' willingness to pursue a fair and participatory system in international relations, based on the principles advocated by the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international accords. Consequently, like in previous Summits, Ibero-American community leaders once again voiced their rejection of unilateral sanctions, extraterritorial and national laws that breach international principles contrary to the spirit of cooperation and friendship that should prevail among Ibero-American nations. Observers noted that besides the repeated disapproval of the U.S. anti-Cuba Helms-Burton Law, the text of the Declaration of Havana makes an implicit reference to the current dispute between Chile and Spain regarding the extradition of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. Regarding the event's main subject, while the Declaration acknowledges the opportunities and benefits that result from globalization in terms of technologies, it points out that there are obstacles in the path towards the reduction of economic and social inequalities, and deemed necessary the adoption of measures to ease the situation of the poor in the region. In a world where multilateralism, cooperation and the forging of alliances is ever more increasing, the heads of State expressed in the Declaration of Havana their willingness to consolidate the Ibero-American Summits as an instrument of dialogue and political reconciliation, to face the socio-economic-technological and environmental challenges of the 21st century. In the Declaration of Havana, the Ibero-American leaders expressed their satisfaction for the creation of the Ibero-American Secretariat on Cooperation and gave formal approval to the organization that will be headed by Mexican Jorge Alberto Lozoya, with its permanent headquarters in Madrid, Spain. The organization will provide a platform for a permanent follow-up and greater control, and will become one of the most important links in the ongoing work of Ibero-American Summits. -30- [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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