HAVANA, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque has resuscitated a five-nation tour of Europe for later this month after cancelling a similar plan in December to concentrate on the custody dispute over Elian Gonzalez.

A Foreign Ministry statement said Perez, a 34-year-old former aide to President Fidel Castro, would travel to Italy, San Marino, France, Denmark and Russia between Jan. 17 and Jan. 27 on invitations from his counterparts in those nations.

``These visits should help continue to deepen relations with these European countries and continue raising the level of political dialogue,'' the statement added.

Perez would also meet with Vatican and Spanish authorities, the statement said, without specifying whether the Cuban minister would actually be visiting those states.

Perez was scheduled to visit Europe last month, but Castro asked him to stay and dedicate himself to Havana's fight to bring Elian home from Miami, where the six-year-old has lived with relatives after being picked up on Nov. 25 in the sea off Florida.

Perez' role in the custody dispute has been relatively behind-the-scenes, meeting with ambassadors to press Cuba's arguments in the case, rather than joining the daily mass demonstrations across the island.

17:33 01-14-00

Copyright 2000 Reuters Limited.

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