NewsMax.com Wires.
Tuesday, April 3, 2001
HAVANA (UPI) – Cuban dictator Fidel Castro greeted delegates Monday
from the 105th meeting of the Interparliamentary Union, a world organization of
parliaments.
The weeklong meeting aims to cover subjects including "women's issues,"
human rights and the Mideast crisis. The parliamentarian leaders also aim to
bring North and South Korea closer and bring an end to the conflict in Angola.
The conference participants also plan to address the continuing abuses of human
rights in more than 30 countries, including Argentina, Colombia and Honduras.
But apparently human rights abuses in Cuba will not be addressed. IPU
President Najma Heptuallah said she was happy with Cuba's conformity to IPU's
criteria for a "democratic" country.
Out of the 1,400 parliamentarians from more than 120 countries at the
conference, a U.S. delegation was notably absent. Heptuallah said the U.S.
absence had nothing to do with the differences. The United States has not
attended an IPU conference since 1994.
Copyright 2001 by United Press International. All rights
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