Radio Havana Cuba, 27 September 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 Monday, September 27, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER IGOR IVANOV ARRIVES IN HAVANA 2.- CUBANS CELEBRATE 39th ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMMITTEES FOR THE DEFENSE OF THE REVOLUTION 3.- WORLD TOURISM DAY OBSERVED IN HAVANA 4.- CUBAN CULTURE MINISTER VISITS VIETNAM 5.- PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERATION OF CUBAN WOMEN PARTICIPATES IN MEETING OF FIRST LADIES AND REPRESENTATIVES RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER IGOR IVANOV ARRIVES IN HAVANA Havana, September 27(RHC)-- Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov arrived in Havana Monday to begin a three-day official visit -- his first since assuming the post two years ago. Ivanov and Cuban government officials will reportedly discuss bilateral relations, which began to take shape again in 1995 following the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1996, Russia became Cuba's principal trading partner, based on the exchange of oil for sugar and contracts in the machinery industry. The Russian foreign minister is also expected to reiterate his country's opposition to Washington's blockade of Cuba. Igor Ivanov recently published an article in a Russian news daily, stating that it is increasingly evident that the so-called Cuba problem is an internal problem for the U.S. government, and that the 40 year Havana-Washington confrontation has gone far beyond the framework of the U.S. government's alleged concern for human rights. He said that Cuba does not represent a threat for U.S. national security -- as admitted by the Pentagon -- and that a solution to the problem is currently being held hostage by a small but influential extremist Cuban-American exile community. CUBANS CELEBRATE 39th ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMMITTEES FOR THE DEFENSE OF THE REVOLUTION Havana, September 27(RHC)-- Cubans from all walks of life are celebrating the 39th anniversary of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, the CDRs, with block parties held throughout the island. The festivities will go into the night on Monday -- into the early morning hours of Tuesday. Tomorrow, September 28th, marks the anniversary of the neighborhood organization, created in 1960. With the slogan "In Each Barrio: Revolution," the CDRs have been carrying out a number of activities to pay tribute to the block organizations like neighborhood cleanups, street fairs, collecting recyclable materials and symbolic guard duty by school children. The CDRs have contributed to the sugar and coffee harvest this year as well as other agricultural work. For the past several weeks, the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution have organized neighborhood discussions to analyze a recent resolution by the Cuban parliament. The resolution supports a lawsuit against the U.S. government for 40 years of attacks and aggressions against the Cuban people and their Revolution. WORLD TOURISM DAY OBSERVED IN HAVANA Havana, September 27(RHC)-- World Tourism Day was celebrated on Monday at the Aula Magna of the University of Havana. The Minister of Tourism, Ibrahim Ferradas, delivered a lecture on the development of tourism and its close links to Cuba's cultural heritage. He explained that tourism is the most dynamic sector of the economy and also a major source of income for the island. The Cuban official said that in 1999, Cuba expects to welcome one million 700,000 vacationers. He added that in the coming ten years, there will be an estimated seven million tourists visiting the Caribbean island annually. CUBAN CULTURE MINISTER VISITS VIETNAM Hanoi, September 27(RHC)-- Cuba's Culture Minister Abel Prieto met on Monday with the General Secretary of Vietnam's Communist Party, Le Kha Phieu -- stressing that relations between both countries are stronger as the world enters the 21st century. During the meeting in Hanoi, the Vietnamese leader told the Cuban official that in contemporary politics, it is difficult to find bilateral relations that are as close as relations between Cuba and Vietnam. Phieu added that despite both countries' difficulties, Hanoi and Havana are struggling for economic development without forgetting culture and the spiritual needs of the people. The Cuban delegation also met with Vice Premier Nguyen Tan Dung and discussed the socio-economic situation of each country. Cuban Culture Minister Abel Prieto and his accompanying delegation, who will travel to Japan on Tuesday, visited Hanoi's Conservatory and the town of Bac Trang, known for its porcelain -- which is in great demand in Vietnam and all of Asia. PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERATION OF CUBAN WOMEN PARTICIPATES IN MEETING OF FIRST LADIES AND REPRESENTATIVES Ottawa, September 27(RHC)-- The President of the Federation of Cuban Women, Vilma Espin, is in Ottawa, the Canadian capital, to participate in a meeting of the continent's First Ladies or their representatives, scheduled to be held from September 29th through October 1st. The Cuban official told journalists that the island's delegation will have the opportunity to learn about the problems of development and attention given to children under the age of six, which are the event's main issues. The president of the Federation of Cuban Women will speak with participants at the meeting in Canada about the island's education, health care, sports and social system. The Cuban women's leader pointed out that during these meetings of First Ladies, representatives always learn about what is happening in each country. And Vilma Espin added that, of course, Cuba will also contribute its own experiences during this week's encounter in Ottawa. [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-21457 1999-Sep-27 22:30:46