Radio Havana Cuba-03 October 2000 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 03 October 2000 . *PRESIDENT CASTRO PARTICIPATES IN FUNERAL CEREMONY FOR PIERRE TRUDEAU *IN JAPAN, CARLOS LAGE RECEIVED BY PRIME MINISTER YOSHIRO MORI *CUBA SELECTED AS PRESIDENT OF PAN AM HEALTH ORG EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE *PORTUGAL'S JUSTICE MINISTER SAYS FIGHT AGAINST CRIME MUST BE GLOBALIZED *CAPE VERDE HEALTH MINISTER PRAISES CUBA'S MEDICAL COOPERATION *CUBA'S TOURISM MINISTER VISITS FRANCE *FAVORABLE RESULTS IN THE CLEAN-UP OF HAVANA BAY *CUBA READY TO HOST 17TH INTERNATIONAL BALLET FESTIVAL *Viewpoint: RISING OIL PRICES HITTING HARD AT ECONOMIES OF POOR NATIONS . *PRESIDENT CASTRO PARTICIPATES IN FUNERAL CEREMONY FOR PIERRE TRUDEAU Havana, October 3 (RHC) -- Cuban President Fidel Castro arrived in Canada late Monday to participate in today's funeral ceremony for late Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. In a statement published on the front page of today's Granma news daily, the Cuban leader said he went to Canada -- in this moment of the Canadian people's anguish -- to pay homage to the enduring memory of Pierre Trudeau, who he called a statesman of world renown. The Cuban President said that, moreover, he was tied to Trudeau through a personal friendship based on the sincere admiration of his person. The Cuban leader said he always considered the Canadian leader a serious politician, with genuine concerns regarding world problems and the situation of the Third World. Calling him an honorable and courageous man who in difficult circumstances promoted relations between his country and Cuba, President Castro said he was also an upright leader who was capable of making an unparalled contribution to modern Canadian history. The Cuban leader said he had the privilege of engaging in numerous and extensive conversations with the late Canadian Prime Minister which, though their ideas didn't always coincide, invariably evolved in an atmosphere of respect. President Castro said that he also wanted to personally come to give testimony to his respect of, friendship with and sympathy for the Canadian people, one of the few developed western nations, he added, that has not practiced colonial exploitation, and which has been tied to Cuba through decades of fruitful cultural and economic exchanges. Thousands of Canadians and foreign personalities said today an emotion-packed good-bye to Pierre Trudeau. *IN JAPAN, CARLOS LAGE RECEIVED BY PRIME MINISTER YOSHIRO MORI Havana, October 3, (RHC) -- In Japan, visiting Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage was received Tuesday by Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori. The gathering centered on the progress in relations between the two countries and perspectives for the increase in bilateral trade and economic cooperation. In discussions concerning the tensions in relations between Cuba and the United States, the Japanese Prime Minister said Tokyo wants to improve relations with both Washington and Havana, and hopes that the latter two also enhance their relations. Lage, the highest ranking Cuban government official to be officially invited to Japan, said better relations between Havana and Tokyo should demonstrate what two nations can do together despite a difference of opinions. The Cuban Vice President said that despite an intensification of Washington's blockade of Cuba during the two mandates of President Bill Clinton's administration, the American people are beginning to acquire a different perception of their government's hostile Cuba policy, while there is an ever-growing number of U.S. political leaders and business representatives travelling to Cuba and publically expressing opposition to the blockade. The two dignataries also spoke of the agreements that have allowed Cuba to gradually begin to repay its debt to Japan and the gradual improvement of the Cuban economy. Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage thanked Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori for the hospitality given to the 200 Cuban athletes who trained in Japan leading up to the Sydney Olympics. Lage also described Cuba's medical assistance program for Third World countries, asking Japan to collaborate. He said Cuba can guarantee all the necessary doctors, nurses and technicians, but needs help in medicines and medical equipment. *CUBA SELECTED AS PRESIDENT OF PAN AM HEALTH ORG. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Havana, October 3 (RHC)-Cuba has been selected to head the Pan American Health Organization's executive committee, which is considered to be a recognition of the excellence of the island's health care system. Cuba was also chosen to be a member of the international organization's Planning and Women's Committee. Cuban Health Minister, Carlos Dotres, announced that the countries in the region will soon propose that Cuba join the Executive Council of the World Health Organization for a period of three years. *PORTUGAL'S JUSTICE MINISTER SAYS FIGHT AGAINST CRIME MUST BE GLOBALIZED Havana, October 3 (RHC)-Portugal's Justice Minister, Antonio Luis Santos Costa, has urged participants in the 12th Conference of Ibero American Justice Ministers to work in line with the new dynamics of today's life, economy and trade. The Portuguese Justice Minister pointed out that crime continues spreading and it is difficult to fight it beyond national borders. That is why, said the Portuguese official, law and justice must be globalized. The 12th Conference of Ibero American Justice Ministers, which has been underway in Havana since Monday, is examining possible cooperation in Ibero America in the areas of the administration of justice, border cooperation, drug trafficking and the fight against corruption. *CAPE VERDE HEALTH MINISTER PRAISES CUBA'S MEDICAL COOPERATION Havana, October 3 (RHC)-Cape Verde Health Minister, Joao Baptista Ferreira, said on Monday in Havana, that his country is satisfied with Cuba's medical cooperation. After meeting with his Cuban counterpart, the Health Minister of Cape Verde, stressed the importance of the fact that 135 young people from his country are studying medicine in Cuba on scholarships. The African official told the press in the Cuban capital that currently 39 Cuban health professionals, among them 23 highly trained specialists, are offering their services free of charge in Cape Verde. With only a doctor for every one thousand 200 inhabitants and an infant mortality rate of 30 per one thousand live births, Cape Verde is ranked among the African countries with the best health indices on the continent. *CUBA'S TOURISM MINISTER VISITS FRANCE Paris, October 3 (RHC)-Cuba's Tourism Minister, Ibrahim Ferradaz, and his French counterpart, Michelle Demessine, have stressed their commitment to continue developing relations in the tourism field. Ferradaz met with his French counterpart on Monday, in Paris, on his first visit to that European nation after participating in the Hanover World Exhibition Fair and celebrations of World Tourism Day which were held in Germany. During the Paris meeting, the two tourism ministers' reiterated their interest in expanding bilateral relations and cooperation. Tourism Minister Farradaz' visit to France is aimed at taking a first hand look at one of the world's most visited countries and analyzing the increasingly number of French vacationers to Cuba. The Cuban official met on Monday with French business executives and exchanged information on the Cuba's rapidly growing tourism industry. They discussed future cooperation and proposals to guarantee sustainable growth in Cuba as a tourist destination. *FAVORABLE RESULTS IN THE CLEAN-UP OF HAVANA BAY Havana, October 3 (RHC)-The environmental work of Cuba's national oil company, CUPET, has yielded favorable results in its efforts to reduce hydrocarbon contaminants in Havana Bay. In the 3rd International Workshop on Environmental Work and the Sustainable Development of Havana Bay, which was inaugurated on Monday in the Cuban capital, delegates were briefed work being done at Havana's Nico Lopez Refinery, the Evelio Rodriguez gas manufacturing plant and the provincial fuel distributor to reduce the amount of oil being dumped into the Bay. During the workshop, which is being held in the Ambos Mundos Hotel in Old Havana, participants also discussed non-conventional methods to clean up the Bay and perspectives for the Bay. Havana Bay contains some 47 million cubic meters of water, with some three million cubic meters of contaminated sediments on its ocean floor. *CUBA READY TO HOST 17TH INTERNATIONAL BALLET FESTIVAL Havana, October 3 (RHC)-Ballet lovers in Cuba and around the world are anxiously awaiting October 20: the opening of the island's 17th International Ballet Festival. The 9-day ballet extravaganza, entitled: "Choreographers of the Twentieth Century", will feature world famous ballet companies and dancers from around the world, as well as the island's acclaimed National Ballet Company. Havana will be the main site, with performances in the ornate Garcia Lorca Hall of the majestic Gran Teatro. Other theaters will be the Teatro mella and the Teatro Nacional. Performances will also be held in the provincial cities of Matanzas, Santa Clara and Guira de Melena. Among the many invited guests are Julie Kent and Angel Corella, top dancers in new York's American Ballet Theater, Argentinian, Inaki Urteazaga, Italy's Carla Fracci, Argentinian, Paloma Herrera, of the American Ballet Theater, Belgian, Nicolas Musin, Luigi Bonino and Fernanda Diniz of Brazil, American Armanda Mckerrow and the Washington DC Ballet Company. Other countries participating will be Hungary, Australia, Japan, China and Canada. Among the full length ballets will be a joint production of "Swan Lake", mounted by the Cuban National Ballet and the Valencia Community. The ballet, "Don Quijote" will also be offered with rotating principal dancers of international and Cuban acclaim. Among the most anticipated pieces will be Ballo della Regina, by George Balanchine, coreographed by legendary Balanchine dancer, Merryll Ashley. Viewpoint *RISING OIL PRICES HITTING HARD AT ECONOMIES OF POOR NATIONS After several weeks of uncertainty, the oil market remains the same despite the summit meeting of the Organization of Oil Exporting Countries -OPEC-, which refuses to accept responsibility for the sky-rocketing prices of crude. Currently, the cost of a barrel of oil -159 liters- remains over 30 dollars despite OPEC's decision to increase its daily exports by 800 thousand barrels. Under the logical of the market, the increase in a product would logically entail a reduction in price. However, the case of oil appears to be an exception to the rule, even after the U.S.'s announcement to launch onto the market a considerable amount of its oil reserves so that the heating of homes and institutions is not affected now that the winter is approaching. OPEC leaders, responsible for 40% of the world's oil exports, have rejected accusations against them, and claim that the real cause of the high prices of crude is the high taxes on oil that exist in the developed countries. They also blame them on increasing speculation in the stock markets, particularly after the U.S.'s decision to stop backing its currency with gold years ago. Suffering most from this situation, is the Third World, with soaring foreign debts and no possibility of paying skyrocketing oil prices. Most of those nations' national budgets are earmarked for yearly payments of the interest on their foreign debts. Only the current Venezuelan government, headed by President Hugo Chavez, has adopted a truly just and progressive policy of cooperation and solidarity with the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean. The South American nation has set special prices and easy payment terms. Venezuela has also urged other OPEC members to increase their investments in the Third World to give new momentum to those nations' economies. However, it remains to be seen if the other oil exporting countries will follow Venezuela's lead or if they will simply step aside and leave the poor majority to its fate. (c) 2000 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. 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