>Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit > >Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 22 May 2000 > > > -US CITIZENS VISIT TO ESTABLISH US-CUBA SISTER CITY PROJECTS > -US STATE DEPARTMENT CHARGED WITH POLITICAL COWARDICE > -CUBAN PRESIDENT MEETS UN DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL > -GERMAN FEDERAL MINISTER MEETS WITH CUBAN AUTHORITIES > -CUBA AND AUSTRIA SIGN NEW COOPERATION AGREEMENT > -CUBAN AGRICULTURE MINISTER ARRIVES IN IRAN > -INFORMATICA 2000 CONVENTION OPENS IN HAVANA > -INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL CUBADISCO '2000 TO BEGIN WEDNESDAY > -RENOVATED JEWISH TEMPLE REOPENS IN HAVANA > > >U.S. CITIZENS VISIT TO ESTABLISH ANOTHER U.S.-CUBA SISTER CITY PROJECTS > >Havana, May 21(RHC)-- More than a hundred Americans interested in >establishing sister city relations with Cuban cities are holding a two-day >meeting in Havana. The opening remarks were made on Monday by the president >of the island's Parliament, Ricardo Alarcon, who stressed the importance of >people to people contacts in the face of Washington's more than 40 years of >hostility toward the island. > >The US delegates were briefed on the history of Cuba-US relations by First >Deputy Foreign Minister, Jorge Bolaqos, who noted that throughout history >nations pursue the foreign policy that advances their interests, except in >the case of the U.S's Cuba policy, since 40 years of hostility is not in the >interest of Washington nor of the American people. Deputy Foreign Trade >Minister Orlando Hernandez gave an outline of Cuba's economic situation. > >On Tuesday the conference will hear from the US-Cuba Sister City Association >on how to establish a Sister City project with Cuba. So far there are >sister city program with Mobile, Alabama and Havana and Pittsburgh, >Pennsylvania and Matanzas. Also in the works is a relationship between St. >Augustine, Florida and the eastern Cuban city of Baracoa. > > >U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT CHARGED WITH POLITICAL COWARDICE > >Havana, May 22 (RHC)-- An editorial in Monday's edition of the Cuban >newspaper Trabajadores takes aim at the U.S. State Department, >calling the department's recent actions in the case of Elian >Gonzalez "cowardly." Written by Lazaro Barredo Medina, the editorial >asks where the State Department was hiding during the past six >months, when they failed to criticize Elian's kidnappers for using >him as a poster child for the right wing Cuban-American community. > >According to Monday's editorial in Trabajadores, no one in the State >Department uttered a word when the six-year-old was literally wrapped in the >U.S. flag, dressed up as Batman, the subject of sensationalist news reports >and hounded by hundreds of photographers and camera crews as he was paraded >through the streets of Miami. The editorial notes that all it took was one >photo of Elian wearing a scarf and uniform -- similar to those worn by all >Cuban students -- to make the State Department come out of hiding. > >While pointing out that the U.S. State Department has actually been >working behind the scenes to make their stay more difficult, the >editorial published in the Cuban newspaper states that Elian and his >family have been deprived of much needed support. The refusal to >grant entry visas to many of his classmates and a team of Cuban >doctors and psychiatrists was arrogantly directed by diplomats from >the State Department. And, as Trabajadores notes, the current delay >in granting visas to Elian's grandparents and great-grandmother is >yet another travesty -- further evidence that the State Department is >purposefully putting obstacles in the way of resolving the case of >Elian Gonzalez. > > >CUBAN PRESIDENT MEETS UN DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL > >Havana, May 22 (RHC)-- United Nations Deputy Secretary General Maurice >Strong wrapped up a working visit to Cuba over the weekend. > >Shortly before departing from Havana, Strong met with Cuba's President Fidel >Castro. Both dignitaries discussed several issues related to the >international situation and the upcoming Millennium Summit. > >The visit was aimed at strengthening relations with the island and >identifying new ways for further UN development assistance to Cuba. > >During his stay in Cuba, Strong met with several Cuban ministers, among them >Minister for Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation Marta Lomas, of >Higher Education Fernando Vecino Alegret, for Science, Technology and the >Environment Rosa Elena Simeon and Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque. > >The high-ranking UN official also held contacts with authorities from the >Cuban Ministry of Planning and the Economy. > >In his meeting with the Cuban higher education minister, the UN deputy >secretary general reviewed possibilities of establishing bilateral >cooperation ties between Cuban universities and the UN University of Peace. > > >GERMAN FEDERAL MINISTER MEETS WITH CUBAN AUTHORITIES > >Havana, May 22 (RHC)-- The visiting German Federal Minister for Economic >Cooperation and Development, Heidemarie Wieczorek Zeul, met on Monday with >Cuba's Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque and the Minister for Science, >Technology and the Environment Rosa Elena Simeon. > >The visit is aimed at reviewing the current state of bilateral relations >between Germany and Cuba. > >The high-ranking German official highlighted her government's willingness to >strengthen bilateral cooperation with Cuba, particularly the support for the >island's National Desertification Program, as well as European assistance to >alleviate the draught affecting regions in Eastern Cuba. > >The visiting delegation met Sunday with Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage, >with whom they debated on development programs and bilateral cooperation >between Germany and Cuba and with the European Union. > >The German federal minister, and the delegation accompanying her, arrived in >Havana on Friday to begin an official visit at the invitation of Cuba's >Minister for Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation, Marta Lomas. > >On Monday, the German delegation also visited the Havana-based Latin >American School of Medicine, other educational institutions and Old Havana's >historical center. > > >CUBA AND AUSTRIA SIGN NEW COOPERATION AGREEMENT > >Havana, May 22 (RHC)-- Cuba and Austria have signed an agreement to mutually >promote and protect both nations' investments. > >The agreement was in the framework of the 7th Meeting of the Cuba-Austria >Mixed Economic Commission for bilateral Industrial, Scientific and Technical >Cooperation, which wound up on Friday in the Cuban capital. > >Austrian Deputy Minister for Labor and the Economy, Joseph Mayer, pointed >out that this new agreement will further strengthen bilateral relations with >the Caribbean island. He stated that among issues discussed by the mixed >commission were investment, promotion, and tourism. > >Bilateral negotiations are currently underway to set up a mixed >Austrian-Cuban company for the production of industrial equipment, as well >as allowing for the transfer of technology. > >The European nation already cooperates with Cuba in the production of sacks >for the island's sugar industry. > > >CUBAN AGRICULTURE MINISTER ARRIVES IN IRAN > >Teheran, May 22 (RHC)- Cuban Agriculture Minister Alfredo Jordan has arrived >in the Islamic Republic of Iran, heading the island's delegation to the 7th >Meeting of the Iran-Cuba Mixed Intergovernmental Commission. > >The Iranian delegation to the meeting is headed by the country's Agriculture >Minister Issa Kalantari. > >Both delegations will analyze the current state of bilateral economic and >trade relations, as well as cooperation in areas such as health, >agriculture, fishing and sports. > > >"INFORMATICA 2000" CONVENTION OPENS IN HAVANA > >Havana, Mayu 22 (RHC) -- Specialists from 40 countries are attending the >seventh Informatics Convention, which opened today in Havana. "Informatica >2000" will offer an opportunity to exchange knowlege, technology and >products along with scientific sessions on the digital information industry >at the beginning of the new millenium. > >Participants also promote and learn about new products and information >technology services, including hardware, software, local and wide-area >networks as well as developments on the Internet. [Translation by NY >Transfer News.] > > >INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL CUBADISCO '2000 TO BEGIN WEDNESDAY > >Havana, May 22 (RHC)-The Cuban capital will be the venue, beginning >Wednesday, of the 4th International Disco Festival Cubadisco '2000. > >The international event will gather several musical groups and soloists, as >well as record promoters and labels. > >The festival's agenda, which this time will be dedicated to the Dominican >Republic, includes --among other activities-- the presentation of a >dictionary of Spanish and Hispanic-American music and a seminar on the >Rumba, as well as a roundtable on rumberos and a rock concert. > > >RENOVATED JEWISH TEMPLE REOPENS IN HAVANA > >Havana May 22(RHC)-- The Cuban Jewish community held a ceremony this weekend >to celebrate the inauguration of the newly renovated temple, Bet Shalom, in >Havana. Attending the opening were Jewish delegations from the United >States, Canada, Mexico, Chile, and Argentina, among others. > >Funding for the reconstruction of the synagogue came from various >American-based Jewish organizations such as the Joint Distribution Fund, the >Weinberg Foundation, and the American Jewish Federation. According to >community members, the inauguration marks a cultural revival for the Cuban >Jewish community, numbering approximately 1500 members. > >On hand at the ceremony was Caridad Diego, Chief of Religous Affairs >Department of the Cuban Communist Party. Diego told RHC that relations >between the Cuban Jewish community and the Cuban government have >consistently been very positive, and recalled Cuban president Fidel Castro's >participation in the Jewish holiday, Chanukah, at temple in 1998. > >(c) 2000 Radio Habana Cuba. 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