Radio Havana Cuba, October 21, 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 Thursday, October 21, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO MEETS WITH DELEGATION FROM THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 2.- CUBA AND HONDURAS SIGN BILATERAL ACCORD REGARDING CUBAN DOCTORS IN THAT CENTRAL AMERICAN NATION 3.- COLOMBIAN GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES AND MEMBERS OF NATIONAL LIBERATION ARMY GATHER IN CUBA 4.- MEDI-CUBA EUROPE SIGNS LETTER OF INTENT WITH CUBA'S HEALTH MINISTRY 5.- TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH PRESIDENT OF THE CUBAN PARLIAMENT 6.- INTERNATIONAL LAWYERS ENCOUNTER GEARS UP IN HAVANA 7.- HAVANA TRADE FAIR OPENS LATER THIS MONTH CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO MEETS WITH DELEGATION FROM THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Havana, October 21(RHC) -- Cuban President Fidel Castro met Wednesday evening with a visiting delegation from the U.S.-based Board of Higher Education of the United Methodist Church. The delegation arrived in the Cuban capital earlier this week on an educational mission. The aim of the visit is to meet with church and government leaders in Cuba, and particularly with officials from the island's Ministry of Education, to explore possibilities of establishing student and professor exchange programs. The delegation is headed by the General Secretary of the Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church, Dr. Roger Arison. Speaking with journalists at Havana's International Press Center Thursday morning, Arison said that his church has already passed a resolution condemning Washington's blockade of Cuba. He emphasized that the official position of the United Methodist Church is that the blockade should be lifted immediately. Regarding the delegation's impressions of their meeting with the leader of the Cuban Revolution, the general secretary of the Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church stated: "Our meeting with President Castro lasted five hours and many subjects were discussed. We had a rare opportunity to come to know a world leader. We spent a long time talking about values -- the values which guided the Cuban Revolution, the values that we have in our Methodist-related institutions of education and the convergence of values as we try to shape a new generation for leadership. I found President Castro to be a compassionate, intelligent leader who has a very strong vision for the world." The United Methodist Church has educational missions in many parts of the world, the most recent established in North Korea, as well as in other countries in Asia and South America, Eastern Europe, Russia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and also in Africa, Zimbabwe, Angola, Mozambique, the Congo and West Africa. CUBA AND HONDURAS SIGN BILATERAL ACCORD REGARDING CUBAN DOCTORS IN THAT CENTRAL AMERICAN NATION Tegucigalpa, October 21(RHC)-- Cuba and Honduras have signed a bilateral accord regarding Cuban doctors in that Central American nation. The accord was signed Wednesday in Tegucigalpa by Honduran Foreign Minister Roberto Flores and Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Jorge Bolanos. During his speech following the signing ceremony, the Honduran foreign minister stated that during the 11 months that Cuban health specialists provided assistance in his country in the wake of Hurricane Mitch, there were times when they placed their own health and lives in danger. He said their personal sacrifice -- which he called "a moral duty" -- has won the Cuban health professionals "a special place in the hearts of all Hondurans." The bilateral agreement stipulates free-of-charge service for at least another year in the most-remote regions of Honduras. It also provides for post-graduate training of Honduran doctors by Cuban specialists in fields like urology, cardiology and epidemiology. Although Cuba has offered its medical services free-of-charge, the Honduran government has unilaterally decided to provide the health specialists with room and board and a 100 dollar-a-month stipend. Flores also stated that the opposition of the Honduran Medical College to Cuban medical presence in the country will no longer be a problem, since the bilateral accord has been signed based on national interests. As a result of that opposition, last September 30th more than 100 Cuban doctors returned home, but they were replaced by another 32 at the request of the Honduran government. In the coming days, another 121 doctors are expected to arrive in Honduras. In his speech following the signing ceremony, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Jorge Bolanos pointed out that this is the first bilateral accord the two nations have signed in 50 years, following the reestablishment of diplomatic relations last year and the opening in the Honduran capital of a Cuban interests section. While in Honduras, Cuban doctors provided assistance to 450,000 Hondurans. There are currently nearly 1200 Cuban health specialists in Central America, but Bolanos stated that Cuba is ready to send as many as 2000. The Cuban deputy foreign minister also stated that Cuba is willing to send as many as 1000 doctors to Kosovo. At the request of the United Nations, 11 Cuban health specialists traveled to Kosovo last Sunday, the 17th. COLOMBIAN GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES AND MEMBERS OF NATIONAL LIBERATION ARMY GATHER IN CUBA Bogota, October 21(RHC)-- Colombian Foreign Minister Guillermo Fernandez de Soto revealed Thursday that representatives of his government and the National Liberation Army -- Colombia's second largest insurgency -- gathered in Cuba on Tuesday and Wednesday, the 19th and 20th. The Colombian foreign minister told local media outlets that Cuba has been playing "a prudent and respectful role" in Colombia's incipient peace process, although denying that any Cuban officials participated in the gathering. He added that this is the way that the Colombian government accepts the participation of the international community in his country's peace process. Fernandez de Soto stated that he expects the guerrilla organization -- the ELN -- to issue a communique, but that he did not want to anticipate what rebel leaders might say. The government delegation meeting in Cuba was headed by ruling party legislator Juan Gabriel Uribe who, according to the foreign minister, has already returned home to Bogota. Uribe forms part of the negotiation team that will begin formal peace talks with the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces -- the country's largest insurgency -- on Sunday, the 24th. MEDI-CUBA EUROPE SIGNS LETTER OF INTENT WITH CUBA'S HEALTH MINISTRY Havana, October 21(RHC)-- Medi-Cuba Europe, a non-governmental organization created in 1997, has signed a letter of intent with the Cuban Health Ministry to contribute to the development of Cuba's pharmaceutical industry. The document foresees a half million dollars of aid for the year 2000, which will be devoted to the development of a plant to produce a key drug to treat cancer and the purchase of 24 types of raw materials to produce other medicines. Laura Gonzalez, President of Medi-Cuba Europe, told Radio Havana Cuba that the project has a different concept of aid. She said it is a long-term project that is aimed primarily at breaking the U.S. blockade against Cuba. It is also hoped that the aid will make it possible for Cuba to produce 85 percent of the medicine needed on the island. TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH PRESIDENT OF THE CUBAN PARLIAMENT Havana, October 21(RHC)-- The President of the Cuban Parliament, Ricardo Alarcon, met with Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, who is in Cuba on a four-day official visit. Both leaders discussed international issues of mutual interest. The Turkish leader thanked Cuban officials for the material and moral support offered by Havana after a severe earthquake hit his country last August, killing more than 12,000 people. In statements to reporters, Ismail Cem said that he hopes his visit will help consolidate the excellent relations between Turkey and Cuba. During his stay in Cuba, the Turkish foreign minister will also meet with other Cuban government officials and sign a bilateral accord on agriculture and the protection of investments. INTERNATIONAL LAWYERS ENCOUNTER GEARS UP IN HAVANA Havana, October 21(RHC)-- The International Lawyers Encounter will get underway in Havana on October 27th as part of events prior to the 9th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, slated for next month. Among the issues to be discussed at next week's meeting between attorneys will be globalization and the world economic crisis. Organizers of the meeting hope it will provide an opportunity for legal professionals to exchange views. This international meeting is being sponsored by Cuba's Lawyers Union and the Ibero-American Colleges and Lawyers Union HAVANA TRADE FAIR OPENS LATER THIS MONTH Havana, October 21(RHC)-- Cuba's Foreign Trade Minister Ricardo Cabrisas told reporters on Thursday that this year's Havana Trade Fair should see the participation of many more international business executives. In statements to Prensa Latina News Agency, Cabrisas gave a detailed account of preparations for the fair, which will open its doors on October 31st. He stated that more than 1300 foreign companies have confirmed their participation so far. The Cuban foreign trade minister added that Cuba's business community will be represented by more than 400 companies. He affirmed that the 27th Havana Trade Fair is recognized as the most important fair in the region. It gives foreign business executives a first-hand look at business opportunities on the island. [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. 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