Radio Havana cuba-17 June 2000 01:00 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 17 June 2000 01:00 *UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT BEGINS OFFICIAL TALKS WITH PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO *US CUBA POLICY CONDEMNED BY LATIN AMERICAN PARLIAMENT COMMISSIONS OFFICIAL *6TH INT'L CONGRESS ON SUGAR CANE AND ITS DERIVATIVES CONCLUDES IN HAVANA *GROWING NUMBER OF FOREIGN VISITORS TO CUBA *9TH INTERNATIONAL EXPOCARIBE'2000 TRADE FAIR TO BE INAUGURATED THIS WEEKEND *SEN CHRISTOPHER DODD LASHES OUT AT EXCESSIVE INFLUENCE OF ULTRA-RIGHTWING CANF *CUBAN EXPERTS REITERATE POLITICAL NATURE OF ELIAN GONZALEZ CASE *UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT BEGINS OFFICIAL TALKS WITH PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO Havana, June 16 (RHC)-- Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, who arrived Thursday in the Cuban capital, began official talks this morning with Cuban President Fidel Castro and other high-ranking officials. Earlier in the morning, the Ukrainian leader laid a wreath before the Jose Marti Monument in Havana's Revolution Square. This afternoon, Ukrainian President Kucha visited the beach resort of Tarara, on the outskirts of the Cuban capital. Over the past ten years, Tarara has served as a health center where more than 18,000 children and adults affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster have been treated. Cuba has offered highly-specialized medical treatment to these Ukrainian citizens free-of-charge. The Ukrainian president's official visit to Cuba ends tomorrow, Saturday. *US CUBA POLICY CONDEMNED BY LATIN AMERICAN PARLIAMENT COMMISSIONS OFFICIAL Havana, June 16 (RHC)-- The Secretary of Commissions of the Latin American Parliament -PARLATINO-, Argentinean Senator Daniel Baum, strongly criticized Washington's blockade of Cuba and the illegal retention of six-year-old Elian Gonzalez in U.S. territory against his father's wishes. Senator Baum participated in a two-day meeting of the health, labor and energy commissions of the legislative regional institution, which concluded on Friday here in the Cuban capital. The PARLATINO official called the meeting in Cuba "very significant", also describing it as a "social oasis." The Argentinean senator had words of praise for what he called Cuba's solidarity with other peoples in need. The Cuban delegation at the meeting was headed by the president of the Cuban Parliament, Ricardo Alarcon, who issued a call on regional legislators to unite, and make true the dreams of Latin American independence heroes. Top on the event's agenda, gathering 63 deputies from 17 nations, was the search for ways to strengthen cooperation among member nations of PARLATINO. Participants discussed several issues of common interest such as children's health, AIDS, and youth. Delegates also reviewed a report presented by the working regional legislative group on tobacco consumption and its damaging effects. Members of the energy commission, for their part, engaged in debates on energy efficiency and cooperation, and visited an energy project in the central province of Matanzas. *6TH INT'L CONGRESS ON SUGAR CANE AND ITS DERIVATIVES CONCLUDES IN HAVANA Havana, June 16 (RHC)-- The 6th International Congress on Sugar Cane and its derivatives wrapped up on Friday at Havana's International Convention Center. The four-day event gathered some 400 foreign and national experts who analyzed key aspects of the sugar industry, such as new scientific and technical advances. Running parallel to this event, the 2nd International Expocaribe'2000 Trade Fair was held at Havana's Pabexpo Exhibition Pavilion, involving the participation of some 20 foreign firms. *NUMBER OF FOREIGN VISITORS TO CUBA CLIMBS 6% IN 4 MONTHS Havana, June 16 (RHC)-- The arrival of foreign visitors to Cuba increased by 6 percent over the first four months of this year, according to sources from the island's Tourism Ministry. In this period, the island welcomed more than 672,000 visitors. This last April, alone, 157,663 tourists arrived in Cuba, which represents a 16.8 percent increase compared with the same month last year. The country with the largest number of foreign visitors so far this year is Canada, followed by Germany, Italy, France and Spain. Cuban development of the so-called smokeless industry is concentrated primarily in eight major regions, including Havana, the world famous Varadero beach resort, the Northern Keys and the eastern provinces of Camaguey and Santiago de Cuba. These regions make up 86 percent of the island's tourism potential with over 170,000 hotel rooms. The Cuban tourist industry plans to welcome more than 2,000,000 foreign visitors this year, with an estimate of roughly 12,000,000 vacationers by the year 2010. Consequently, tourism authorities have come up with a 10-year investment project of some 22,000,000 dollars, earmarked for the construction of hotel rooms and other tourist facilities. *9TH INTERNATIONAL EXPOCARIBE'2000 TRADE FAIR TO BE INAUGURATED THIS WEEKEND Santiago de Cuba, June 16 (RHC)-- The 9th International Expocaribe'2000 Trade Fair will officially open its doors this Sunday, in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba, with the participation of more than 150 firms from 21 countries. Also on hand for the important event will be renowned foreign personalities, including Colombian Vice President Gustavo Bell, who will travel to Cuba at the head of a large business delegation from the South American nation. Due to the participation of an ever-increasing number of trade firms each year, the exhibition area has been expanded to another 1000 square meters. *SEN CHRISTOPHER DODD LASHES OUT AT EXCESSIVE INFLUENCE OF ULTRA-RIGHTWING *CANF Havana, June 16 (RHC) -- U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd has lashed out at what he called the excessive power and influence of Miami's ultra-rightwing Cuban-American National Foundation in the mapping out of Washington's Cuba policy. The Democratic Senator from Connecticut -- who speaks Spanish and is considered one of the U.S.'s most knowledgeable legislators on Latin American affairs -- announced today his intention to next week present a proposal to create a high-level commission to review Washington's relations with Cuba. But in the same announcement, Dodd admitted that the initiative will probably be buried by the excessive power of what he called the "anti-Castro lobby" on capital hill. Senator Dodd stated that he is astonished that something as simple, as common sense, as a commission to guide foreign policy matters comes up against opposition. He said it's even more astounding at a moment when Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is visiting the White House, when the U.S. Congress is voting in favor of better relations with China and Vietnam, and when even the two Koreas have begun a process of reconciliation. Senator Dodd said that despite these events, he can't even manage to name a commission to evaluate whether or not Washington should handle the Cuba issue in a different manner -- calling this reality "scandalous." The prominent U.S. lawmaker, nevertheless, stated that he is convinced that the Elian Gonzalez case has changed sentiments within Congress and in the country as a whole. He said that, in his opinion, as a result of the Cuban child's predicament many Americans are asking "what is happening here? why can't anything be done in such a simple case as reuniting a child with his father when the U.S. government does this everyday, five thousand times a year?" Senator Dodd said he thinks that this case, and the fact that an organization can have so much power in the U.S. Congress, has perturbed many people. He said he would like to see his colleagues talk about what is in the interest of the United States. *CUBAN EXPERTS REITERATE POLITICAL NATURE OF ELIAN GONZALEZ CASE Havana, June 16 (RHC) -- In today's roundtable discussion, designed to bring Cuban T.V. viewers the most updated information on the Elian Gonzalez case, National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcon said that there is not a single precedence of any foreigner, not accused of a committing a crime, held in the United states against his or her will. In reiterating the political nature of the Elian Gonzalez case, Cuban journalists participating in the roundtable discussion pointed to the major law firm - Kirkland and Ellis - which Elian's distant relatives recently hired to continue efforts to delay the child's return. From this law firm emerged the special prosecutor, Kenneth Star, who led what many called a witchunt not only against President William Clinton, but, in essence, against the Democratic Party. Another agency participating in Elian's retention, noted panelists, is the reactionary Judicial Watch - which is now attempting to bring the US government to court for, in its words, collaborating with the Cuban government. Finally, the program, broadcast live on Cuban radio and TV, reproduced a revealing CBS report on undocumented immigrant children that the US's Immigration and Naturalization Service locks up in detention centers - including the case of a 3-year-old Jamaican child. It was announced at the end of the roundtable discussion that tomarrow morning in the province of Camaguey, around 300 thousand people will take to the streets to demand Elian's return to Cuba. (c) 2000 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. All rights reserved. ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= rhc-eng-23328 2000-Jun-17 03:09:00