Yahoo! December 14, 2000
Putin Talks With Castro in Cuba
By Vladimir Isachenkov, Associated Press Writer
HAVANA, 14 (AP) - Vladimir Putin (news - web sites), the first Russian
president to visit Cuba since the collapse of the Soviet Union, held talks with
Fidel Castro (news - web sites) on Thursday as he started a trip aimed at
warming ties between the former Cold War allies.
Putin, in a dark suit and tie, and Castro, in his customary olive green
uniform and cap, stood at attention as a Cuban military band played the national
anthems of both countries outside the Palace of the Revolution.
After greeting a Russian delegation and members of Cuba's top leadership,
the two presidents held formal talks inside the palace and signed a series of
accords. Russian officials have said six documents were prepared for the trip,
including agreements on cooperation in legal affairs and health.
The two presidents appeared to be chatting amiably through an interpreter on
Wednesday, shortly after Castro greeted Putin at the Havana airport. They posed
for photographs and sped away in a Russian-made limousine without talking with
reporters.
Later, at the residence where Putin and his wife, Lyudmila, are staying,
they spoke briefly in the presence of their respective foreign ministers,
Russian officials said. Putin invited Castro to visit Russia, they said.
Putin sent congratulations to President-elect George W. Bush (news - web
sites) via telegram early Thursday, foreign affairs adviser Sergei Prikhodoko
said. There was no immediate reaction from the Cuban government.
Cuba was a strategic outpost during the Cold War, and 20 percent of its
gross national product is estimated to have come from Soviet subsidies. But it
is a much-changed country since the Soviet collapse: Politics are now second to
economics as Russian-Cuban trade replaces Soviet-Cuban aid at the top of the
agenda.
During Putin's two-day state visit, the two countries will examine ways to
help wipe out Cuba's $11 billion Soviet-era debt. Putin and Castro were meeting
formally on Thursday morning for talks on trade and other economic issues. Putin
was to attend a ceremony in the afternoon honoring Cuba's monument to the
Unknown Soviet Soldier.
Also Thursday, Putin was to meet with Ricardo Alarcon, president of Cuba's
National Assembly and Castro's point man on Cuba-U.S. affairs.
On Friday, the Russian president was scheduled to pay tribute to Cuban
independence hero Jose Marti and visit Cuba's Institute of Genetics and
Biotechnology. He then heads to Cuba's Varadero beach resort for a two-day rest
before going to Canada on Sunday.
His wife was keeping a separate, more low-key program, meeting Thursday
morning with Russian teachers and students Thursday morning at the University of
Havana.
Both Cuba and Russia hope the visit will breathe new life into a decades-old
relationship that thrived during the Cold War era.
Cuba was thrown into economic crisis by the loss of its Soviet bloc trading
partners at the beginning of the last decade but is slowly learning to become
economically self-sufficient. From the Russian perspective, Putin said this week
his country must revive economic ties with Cuba or risk losing out to companies
from other countries.
Russian trade with Cuba now totals about $1 billion per year, Putin said
earlier this week - down from about $3.6 billion in 1991.
Putin was expected to promote Russia's participation in completing
construction of Soviet-era projects, including the Las Camariocas nickel plant
and the Cienfuegos oil refinery, according to Russian media.
Group Recommends US-Cuban Dialogue
By George Gedda, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON, 14 (AP) - The United States should reject its "uncompromising
approach'' to Cuba and push for an eventual democratic transition and an end to
repression on the island, a hemispheric policy group said Thursday.
The recommendation for U.S.-Cuban dialogue was in a report by the
Inter-American Dialogue, a gathering of former presidents and specialists from
the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean.
"It is time for the United States to shift to a policy of engagement to
press the Cuban government to end its repressive practices, restore the rule of
law and stop human rights abuses - even if, realistically, dramatic improvements
in these areas are unlikely,'' the report said.
It also suggested "redesign'' of U.S. policy toward Cuba to increase
the prospect that once President Fidel Castro (news - web sites) leaves office,
"Cuba will have a peaceful and successful transition toward democratic
politics and market-driven economics.''
The new approach would end U.S. isolation on the Cuba issue and would allow
Washington to begin cooperating with the governments of Latin America and the
Caribbean as well as those of Canada, Europe and Japan, the study said. It said
all those friends of the United States share the U.S. goal of peaceful
transition to democracy in Cuba but resist Washington's "uncompromising
approach.''
The report said few take seriously the argument that the U.S. embargo and
other sanctions will hasten Castro's downfall or bring even modest political or
economic changes to Cuba.
"The next U.S. president should undertake to dismantle the web of
restrictive laws and policies that block efforts to reintegrate Cuba into
hemispheric affairs,'' the report said.
Two weeks ago, the Council on Foreign Relations issued a report on Cuba that
also recommended an easing of the embargo on the premise that relaxation would
help transition in the post-Castro era and reduce chances of U.S. military
intervention.
President-elect Bush has said he envisions no change in U.S. policy toward
Cuba unless free elections are held and political prisoners are freed.
The Inter-American Dialogue report was signed by former President Carter and
other former hemispheric presidents, including Raul Alfonsin of Argentina, Oscar
Arias of Costa Rica, Violetta Chamorro of Nicaragua, Nicolas Ardito Barletta of
Panama, Osvaldo Hurtado of Ecuador and Gonzalo Sanchez de Losada of Bolivia.
The report also offered recommendations on a wide range of other issues.
Among Andean countries, the study said, Colombia faces the most severe
challenge. It said the recently approved $1.3 billion U.S. aid package may not
be able to address the fundamental task of restoring the authority and
credibility of the Colombian government as it attempts to cope with guerrilla
war, rights abuses, pervasive criminal violence and economic recession.
The Colombian army needs to be able to respond more effectively to guerrilla
and paramilitary violence, the study said, and its government needs to manage
the peace process better, with a more effective commitment to human rights.
On the Net: Inter-American Dialogue:
http://www.iadialog.org/main.html
State Department: http://www.state.gov/www/regions/wha/index.html
Russian President Arrives in Cuba
By Anita Snow, Associated Press Writer
HAVANA, 13 (AP) - Vladimir Putin arrived in Cuba late Wednesday to revive
historic economic ties with Russia's former Cold War ally, becoming the first
Russian president to visit Cuba since the breakup of the Soviet Union.
Dressed in his typical olive green uniform, President Fidel Castro (news -
web sites) greeted Putin as he stepped down from the plane and onto a red carpet
on the airport tarmac. At one point, Castro placed his hand affectionately on
Putin's shoulder.
Also greeting Putin was a small group of Russian diplomats and Cuban
officials, including Castro's brother, Defense Minister Raul Castro, and Foreign
Minister Felipe Perez Roque.
After shaking hands and posing briefly for photographers, the two presidents
sped away in a Russian made limousine without talking with reporters. The pair
could be seen in the car talking animatedly inside the vehicle through an
interpreter.
Cuba was a strategic outpost during the Cold War, and 20 percent of its
gross national product is estimated to have come from Soviet subsidies. It is a
much changed country since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Politics are now secondary to economics as Russian-Cuban trade replaces
Soviet-Cuban aid at the top of the agenda. During Putin's two-day state visit,
the two countries will also examine ways to help wipe out Cuba's $11 billion
Soviet-era debt.
Putin will end his trip with a restful break at Cuba's premier beach resort.
He plans to head off to Varadero on Friday afternoon for two days of rest before
going to Canada on Sunday.
Both countries hope the visit will breathe new life into a decades-old
relationship that thrived during the Cold War era.
Cuba was thrown into economic crisis by the loss of its Soviet bloc trading
partners at the beginning of the last decade, but is slowly learning to become
economically self-sufficient.
Putin said this week his country must revive economic ties with Cuba or risk
losing out to companies from other countries.
Russian trade with Cuba now totals about $1 billion per year, Putin said,
according to the Interfax news agency. This is down from about $3.6 billion in
1991.
Putin was expected to promote Russia's participation in completing
construction of Soviet-era projects including the Las Camariocas nickel plant
and the Cienfuegos oil refinery, according to Russian media.
Putin's foreign policy aide, Sergei Prikhodko, said that six documents had
been prepared for the trip, including agreements on cooperation in legal affairs
and health, the Russian news agency ITAR-Tass reported.
The number of top officials scheduled to travel with Putin is relatively
small, and include Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev and Foreign Minister Igor
Ivanov.
Nuclear Minister Yevgeny Adamov is not scheduled to be in the delegation,
Russian officials said. That indicates that no substantive agreements are
expected during this trip on the unfinished Juragua nuclear power plant, which
was being built with Soviet technical help and financing power before
construction was abandoned after the breakup of the former Soviet Union.
Putin will meet with President Fidel Castro on Thursday morning and attend a
ceremony in the afternoon honoring Cuba's monument to the Unknown Soviet
Soldier, according to an agenda provided by Cuban and Russian officials.
Putin on Thursday also will meet with Ricardo Alarcon, president of Cuba's
National Assembly, and Castro's point man on Cuba-U.S. affairs.
The Russian president will also play tribute Friday to Cuban independence
hero Jose Marti and visit Cuba's Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology before
heading to Varadero.
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