Radio Havana Cuba, September 29, 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, September 29, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER IGOR IVANOV HIGHLIGHTS STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF BILATERAL RELATIONS BETWEEN HAVANA AND MOSCOW 2.- MADRID REITERATES REFUSAL TO ACCEPT U.S. SANCTIONS AGAINST SPANISH FIRMS INVESTING IN CUBA 3.- CUBA CHAIRS LATIN AMERICAN COMMITTEE OF THE INTERNATIONAL GERIATRICS ASSOCIATION 4.- DELEGATION OF CUBAN BUSINESS EXECUTIVES TRAVELS TO VENEZUELA 5.- 7th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EUROPEAN STUDIES UNDERWAY IN HAVANA 6.- INFANT MORTALITY ON THE RISE IN LATIN AMERICA, WITH EXCEPTION OF CUBA RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER IGOR IVANOV HIGHLIGHTS STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF BILATERAL RELATIONS BETWEEN HAVANA AND MOSCOW Havana, September 29(RHC)-- Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov wrapped up a two-day official visit to Cuba on Tuesday. During a news conference in the Cuban capital, the Russian foreign minister highlighted the strategic importance that Moscow attributes to its growing relations with Havana. Following a meeting that lasted several hours with Cuban President Fidel Castro, the Russian foreign minister expressed his conviction that the results of his visit will further enhance bilateral relations between the two countries. Igor Ivanov stated that during his visit, Russia and Cuba reiterated their shared points of view concerning the necessity of a multipolar world, the democratization of the United Nations and respect for international law. Russia's top diplomat also reiterated Moscow's condemnation of Washington's blockade of Cuba. MADRID REITERATES REFUSAL TO ACCEPT U.S. SANCTIONS AGAINST SPANISH FIRMS INVESTING IN CUBA Madrid, September 29(RHC)-- Spain has reiterated its refusal to accept U.S. sanctions against Spanish firms investing in Cuba. During an appearance Wednesday before the Spanish Parliament's Foreign Affairs Commission, Foreign Minister Abel Matutes said that both Spain and the European Union will take action against the United States if provisions of the U.S. Helms-Burton Law are applied to the Spanish hotel group Sol Melia. Last July, the U.S. State Department sent Sol Melia a notification that the firm's business operations in Cuba are under investigation. Matutes expressed his concern to Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who responded that the notification is merely a request for information -- although Washington is obligated to comply with the Helms-Burton Law. The Spanish foreign minister called the response "ambivalent and worrisome." He said if sanctions are applied, the EU-Washington dispute will be reactivated in the corresponding international agencies -- in allusion to the European Union's shelving of a claim in the World Trade Organization following Washington's promise that European firms would not be sanctioned. The position adopted by Matutes reportedly received the unanimous backing of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Commission. At the same time, the European Commission -- the EU's executive body -- has instructed its representative in the U.S. capital to warn authorities of the legal consequences if Washington decides to adopt extraterritorial sanctions against European firms. CUBA CHAIRS LATIN AMERICAN COMMITTEE OF THE INTERNATIONAL GERIATRICS ASSOCIATION Havana, September 29(RHC)-- Cuba will chair the Latin American Committee of the International Geriatrics Association for the next four years, in recognition of the island's work with the elderly. The announcement was made during the inauguration of the Geriatrics '99 International Convention, which got underway Tuesday in the Cuban capital with the participation of some one thousand delegates from 20 countries. In statements to reporters, professor Osvaldo Prieto, the president of the event's organizing committee and director of the Ibero-American Center for the Elderly, pointed out that since 1989, the work carried out by the Cuban Geriatrics Association has been recognized by various countries. He added that Cuba is only one of three countries of the region that has increased its life expectancy by 20 years and is only surpassed by Canada and the United States. DELEGATION OF CUBAN BUSINESS EXECUTIVES TRAVEL TO VENEZUELA Caracas, September 29(RHC)-- A delegation of Cuban business executives, headed by Hector Perez, President of the Cuban Chamber of Commerce, is in Venezuela with the objective of increasing commercial exchange between both countries. The 58 representatives of Cuban firms will look for business opportunities in the fields of health, food, construction and services. The president of Cuba's Chamber of Commerce told reporters that due to its geographical location, Venezuela is in a good position to do business. He stated that Caracas has been increasing its trade with the island over the past several months. Commercial exchange between Cuba and Venezuela has reached 380 million dollars so far this year, making this South American nation Cuba's fourth largest trading partner. 7th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EUROPEAN STUDIES UNDERWAY IN HAVANA Havana, September 29(RHC)-- Cuban Parliament President Ricardo Alarcon inaugurated the 7th International Conference on European Studies on Tuesday. Representatives from 64 Cuban institutions and organizations as well as guests from 19 countries are attending the conference in Havana. Conference participants will discuss European political and social policies, the transformations taking place in eastern Europe and ties between European countries. The president of the Cuban Parliament referred to Washington's blockade against Cuba and said that the so-called easing of that genocidal policy is only a smokescreen. Alarcon stated that the nearly 40-year-old U.S. blockade against the island remains fully in place. INFANT MORTALITY ON THE RISE IN LATIN AMERICA, WITH EXCEPTION OF CUBA San Juan, September 29(RHC)-- As many as 500,000 children -- that's a half-million children under the age of five -- die each year in Latin America, many from curable diseases. According to a report issued by a special center for children's diseases, affiliated with the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), at least one out of every three deaths is caused by transmittable diseases or attributed to malnutrition. The report, made public in Puerto Rico during a meeting of regional health ministers, reveals the staggering statistics: 150,000 Latin American children under the age of five die each year from diarrhea, malaria and respiratory infections -- all preventable with appropriate vaccinations. The PAHO report shows that seven out of 10 of those deaths are attributed to uncomplicated sicknesses such as measles, pneumonia and malnutrition. It goes on to demonstrate that the lack of proper medical care is the primary cause of infant mortality. The Pan-American Health Organization report points out that the lack of education in basic health care also contributes to childhood illnesses. Many parents simply do not have the appropriate knowledge of how to prevent their children from contracting serious diseases. And poverty is the obvious culprit in making sure that health care facilities are out of the reach of most children in Latin America. Throughout the region -- with the notable exception of Cuba -- good health is considered a privilege... for those who have the money to pay for it. In Cuba, health care is provided free-of-charge and is considered a human right -- provided to all -- with a particular emphasis on the young... the future of any society. [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-2942 1999-Sep-29 22:50:02