News24. 06/09/2000 10:40 - (SA)
United nations - Assuming his historic role as spokesperson for the world's developing nations, Cuban President Fidel Castro travelled to the United Nations for a Wednesday address on the rights of Third World countries.
Under tight security but with little fanfare, Castro arrived on Tuesday in the United States for the first time in five years to attend this week's three-day UN Millennium Summit.
Specifics about his address on Wednesday were not announced, but Cuban officials have said that their delegation would push for a stronger role by smaller countries in UN decision-making, including the opportunity to serve on the Security Council.
Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque said last week the Cuban delegation would speak out against "the growing tendency of a small and powerful group of countries" - the United States among them - "to violate the UN charter" by not consulting the General Assembly on key
decisions, and organising UN-led interventions in member countries.
When Havana announced last week that the Cuban president would be coming, the president of the UN General Assembly and co-chairman of the Millennium Summit called Castro's participation "a good thing".
Theo-Ben Gurirab at the time characterised the Cuban leader as a strong voice for the Third World. He also expressed hope that Castro will meet US President Bill Clinton face-to-face during the three-day meeting.
Castro is staying at the Cuban Mission in midtown Manhattan, where he met shortly after his early afternoon arrival with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
He then went to China's UN mission nearby for a meeting with Chinese President Jiang Zemin.
No details of either meeting were immediately available. But Perez Roque described the meeting with the Chinese premier in general terms during a telephone hookup on Tuesday night with state television in Havana.
"The two agreed that relations between Cuba and China are excellent, and that there were similarities in their positions on issues being discussed here (at the UN)," the Cuban foreign minister said. "It was a very friendly meeting, and reflected the close and growing solidarity
between our two countries."
Perez Roque said that on Tuesday evening the Cuban president was meeting with "American friends", but did not elaborate.
Cuba's state-run television network showed footage on Tuesday of Castro hugging and chatting with the staff of Cuba's UN mission. - Sapa/AP
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