Radio Havana Cuba-04 October 2000 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 04 October 2000 . *CARLOS LAGE MEETS WITH JAPAN'S INDUSTRY AND TRADE MINISTER TAKEO HIRANUMA *CUBAN PRESIDENT WELCOMES FINAL GROUP OF ATHLETES HOME FROM SYDNEY *CARIBBEAN HOUSE OF COLOMBIAN SOLIDARITY THANKS CUBAN ATHLETES *FIDEL CASTRO'S LETTER TO WORKERS OF GRANMA NEWSPAPER *IBERO AMERICAN JUSTICE MINISTERS MEETING CONTINUES IN HAVANA *23RD CONGRESS OF AMERICAN CONFEDERATION OF TOURISM MEDIA IN VARADERO *CUBA PARTICIPATS IN MOSCOW'S 6TH INTERNATIONAL TOURISM FESTIVAL *"THE ARAB PRESENCE IN AMERICA" SYMPOSIUM BEGINS NEXT WEEK IN HAVANA *SECOND MILLENNIUM PROMISES LITTLE HOPE FOR WORLD'S POOR MAJORITY . *CARLOS LAGE MEETS WITH JAPAN'S INDUSTRY AND TRADE MINISTER TAKEO HIRANUMA Havana, October 4 (RHC) -- In Japan, visiting Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage gathered Wednesday with the country's Industry and Trade Minister Takeo Hiranuma. Both officials agreed that ties between the two countries are in a process of revitalization. The Cuban Vice President proposed that Havana and Tokyo sign a bilateral investment promotion and protection accord, which Hiranuma said Japan would study. Lage announced that several Cuban business delegations will be traveling to Japan in the near future, and also made reference to next January's gathering in Tokyo of the Japan-Cuba Economic Conference. The highest ranking Cuban government official to be invited to visit Japan has also gathered with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and Foreign Minister Yohei Kono. Japan recently renewed economic cooperation with Cuba following negotiations with Havana to renew the payment of Cuba's foreign debt to Tokyo, which had been declared in moratorium by the Cuban government in 1987. *CUBAN PRESIDENT WELCOMES FINAL GROUP OF ATHLETES HOME FROM SYDNEY Havana, October 4 (RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro says that Cuba is the only country in the world with true amateur athletes. The Cuban leader made the statement on Wednesday, in Havana, while welcoming home the last group of Cuban athletes and trainers that participated in the Sydney Olympics. Just minutes before the arrival of the athletes at Havana's Jose Marti Airport, the Cuban President himself, returned from Montreal where he had attended the funeral service of former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. No country in the world, said the Cuban leader, has the conditions to fully develop sports, because the dignity of Cuban athletes cannot be bought with money. Fidel Castro characterized the island as "Olympic champions" in the field of sports cooperation with the Third World and announced the opening of an international physical education school with a capacity for one thousand 500 students from different countries. The Cuban President urged the athletes to prepare hard for the Athens Olympics in the 2004. "We will support China's candidacy for the 2008 Olympics," he stated, "and we will begin working toward hosting the 2012 world games in Havana." *CARIBBEAN HOUSE OF COLOMBIAN SOLIDARITY THANKS CUBAN ATHLETES Barranquilla, October 4 (RHC)-The Caribbean House of Colombian Solidarity has congratulated Cuban athletes on their dignity and success in the Sydney Olympics. A document issued in Barranquilla, Colombia, states that the island's successes in Australia is a gold medal for Cuba's athletes, its government and for President Fidel Castro, who, says the statement, has created a policy in support of sports, science, and the arts despite Washington's almost 40 year blockade against Cuba. The Caribbean House document adds that the Cuban athletes won gold, silver and bronze medals for each one million of its 11 million inhabitants. No country in the world, continues the text, can demonstrate such statistics, and this was achieved, despite Washington's economic war against Cuba. This triumph, says the Caribbean House of Colombian Solidarity document, demonstrates that Cuba has taken a different path than other Latin American nations, which are submitted to IMF, and World Bank dictates. The statement ends by thanking the Cuban athletes for the moments of tremendous satisfaction and for winning another Gold medal for Solidarity and Friendship. *FIDEL CASTRO'S LETTER TO WORKERS OF GRANMA NEWSPAPER Havana, October 4 (RHC)-Cuban President Fidel Castro, on Wednesday sent a diploma of recognition to the workers of the island's official Granma newspaper on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the newspaper whose task is to reflect the reality of the Cuban Revolution for millions of people on the island and abroad. The letter of recognition was read by Cuban Communist Party official, Rolando Alfonso Borges in a ceremony that was held at the Jose Marti Memorial in Havana. Granma newspaper workers, Communist Party members and cultural personalities participated in the ceremony. The Director of Granma newspaper stressed that the official daily has worked together with the Cuban people in a variety of battles in defense of the island's independence and sovereignty. *IBERO AMERICAN JUSTICE MINISTERS MEETING CONTINUES IN HAVANA Havana, October 4 (RHC)-A new accord for the creation of an archive of files for crimes associated with drug trafficking was the main issue discussed during the 12th Conference of Ibero American Justice Ministers on Wednesday in Havana. Ibero American Justice Ministers agreed on Tuesday to create a common front to fight organized crime, drug trafficking and crime Mafia. The Ibero American Justice Ministers meeting is one of a series of activities leading up to the Ibero American Summit of Heads of State and Government to be held next month in Panama. *23RD CONGRESS OF AMERICAN CONFEDERATION OF TOURISM MEDIA IN VARADERO Havana, October 4 (RHC)-The 23rd Congress of the American Confederation of Tourism media is into its second day of sessions at Varadero Beach with the participation of representatives from 11 countries. Delegates to the event are discussing issues related to the new realities of the continent's press, tourism in the Americas, risks of mass media in the Internet, and the international tourism code of ethics. Founded in 1973, the American Confederation of Tourism media currently works together with some 20 national representatives among them Cuba, which has hosted various yearly congresses. *CUBA PARTICIPATS IN MOSCOW'S 6TH INTERNATIONAL TOURISM FESTIVAL Havana, October 4 (RHC)-Cuba is participating in the 6th International Tourism Festival entitled "Rest-2000" in Moscow and is planning to make its first presentation of the Sol-Melia Hotel Chain in the Cosmos Hotel located in the Russian capital. The representative of Cuba's Tourism Ministry in Russia, Ortelio Alfaro, told Prensa Latina news agency that this time, the island has an exhibition stand of some 30 square meters, which will include the Cubanacan, Cubatur and Iberostar companies. Alfaro pointed out that since the beginning of the fair last Monday, various companies have signed contracts and others are reviewing existing contracts with Russian tour operators. The Cuban official added that the fall fairs began with the "TT Warsaw" which was held from the 28th to the 30th of September in the Polish capital. During that fair, Cuba exhibited tourism materials and made contacts with Polish tour operators. *"THE ARAB PRESENCE IN AMERICA" SYMPOSIUM BEGINS NEXT WEEK IN HAVANA Havana, October 4 (RHC)-Researchers, specialists and historians will participate starting Tuesday in Havana, in the third international symposium entitled "The Arab Presence In America." President of Cuba's Arab Association, Alfredo Deriche, pointed out that so far 22 delegates from 12 countries have confirmed their presence. Viewpoiint: *SECOND MILLENNIUM PROMISES LITTLE HOPE FOR WORLD'S POOR MAJORITY It is a sad fact, but as we approach the end of the Second Millennium, the great majority of the earth's residents live in poverty, unable to reap the benefits of the advanced technology enjoyed by just a third of the world. International insitutions and conferences have set the year 2050 as a the goal to eliminate by half, the number of the world's poor. Presumably, in order to achieve that noble goal, some of the terrible inequalities will be eliminated that now exist between the world's 20% of rich nations and the 80% poor. If one takes a realistic look at the current world sitution, there is little hope that in 50 years poverty will be reduced by half. Among the powers that control the world's economies, there are huge conflicts of interests which could lead to new wars and more poverty. The great powers are armed and continue to arm themselves and to pump more and more resources into the military-industrialcomplex, despite the fact that the so-called "cold war" ended a decade ago. Meanwhile, the development of a globalized neo-liberal economy continues, touted as the great policy to equalize and develope Third World economies, under the direction, of course, of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. It does't take an economist to see what the policies of economic adjustment have achieved in the Third World. Anyone on the street in any of those countries will list employment, poverty and crime as the results of the imposition of the so-called, "free"market economies, which really mean wholesale privitization and cuts in education, health and social security. No Third World people have seen concrete evidence of improvment with the application of neo-liberal economic measures, rather, they will end the Second Millennium without changes or perspectives for a better future. If concrete steps are not taken immediately, the situation could explode, threatening world prosperity and peace for all. (c) 2000 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. 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