AT INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION CONFERENCE, FIDEL WARNS OF NEW COLD WAR Havana, April 2 (RHC)--At Sunday evening's inauguration of the 105th Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference in Havana, Cuban President Fidel Castro warned of the advent of a new Cold War. Speaking before some 1400 legislators from 120 nations, the Cuban leader accused Washington of encouraging a new and desperate weapons race with its insistence on deploying a space-based anti-missile system. In reference to the U.S. government's unilateral withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol on global warming, the Cuban leader said the move illustrates the disdain and arrogance with which the White House breaks vital treaties and accords not only in the spheres of peace and international security, but also in the planet's efforts towards sustainable development and ecological balance. Referring to the absence of U.S. congressional representatives at the conference, President Castro said that sincere, intelligent and realistic U.S. legislators are in an evident minority. Founded in 1889, the Inter-Parliamentary Union is the world's oldest multilateral political institution, gathering legislators from 140 countries and representatives from regional Parliaments. The General Secretary of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Anders B. Johnsson from Sweden, pointed out at a press conference that the meeting is a political event which includes representatives from countries in conflict who can take advantage of the context of the meeting to partake in informal bilateral talks. On the fourth day of the Conference, the coordination committee of the Inter-Parliamentary Union will dedicate a space to women, which will discuss those countries that have not endorsed the U.N. Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women. This Convention was introduced by the U.N. in 1979 and ratified by Cuba in 1980. At the opening session Ricardo Alarcon, President of the Cuban National Assembly, noted that Cuba had the honor of hosting the 68th meeting of this multilateral political organization 20 years ago in Havana. The 105th Conference closes on Saturday, April 7th.
