>(four short articles) > >September 9, 2000 >Millennium Summit ends with more promises than action >http://www.granma.cu/ingles/sept1/38conclu.htm >BY HECTOR IGARZA (Prensa Latina) > >A final declaration, after about 180 speeches in three days, marked >the close of the Millennium Summit, which was filled with promises >and hopes but few concrete actions aside from the Cuban offer to >send as many as 3,000 doctors to Africa. > >Attended by 147 heads of state or government, plus high-level >delegations, the largest meeting in the history of the United Nations >was held on Wednesday through Friday at the UN headquarters in >New York. The aim of the conference was to discuss the dangers >to world peace and security, and how they can be protected. > >Poverty, underdevelopment, devastating diseases such as AIDS, >illiteracy, conflicts and internal wars, peacekeeping operations and >the necessary reforms of the UN and especially the Security Council >were the subjects covered in one way or another by the dignitaries. > >Cuban President Fidel Castro confirmed that he is a leader in word >and deed, offering the World Health Organization up to 3,000 doctors >to send to Africa, the region most affected by AIDS and other deadly >epidemics, in order to cure and train local medical personnel. > >Without mentioning that a small blockaded country was the one to >make such an offer, the Cuban leader challenged the powerful and >rich nations of the North to do more with their millions of dollars in >economic and financial reserves. > >At the Summit, most of the speakers criticized the United States for >not paying its UN dues and demanded that the Security Council be >reformed, especially in terms of expanding the number of permanent >members. > >The body charged with maintaining peace and security has >15 members, five of which (United States, United Kingdom, France, >Russia and China) are permanent members with the power to veto >any decision made. Another 10 countries are chosen for two-year >periods. > >As for peacekeeping missions, a mini-summit of the Security >Council approved a declaration committing the Council to >forming a well-trained, well-equipped, well-commanded >contingent (army?) capable of responding quickly to conflicts. > >The declaration was not approved by the traditional vote for a >draft resolution, indicating that there was disagreement among >the 15 presidents and prime ministers concerning the nature >of peacekeeping operations and the principles of sovereignty, >independence and respect for the internal affairs. > >The organization is currently involved in 14 peacekeeping operations, >almost all of them in the world's poorest countries, with 37,000 >civilian and military personnel at an annual cost of $2.2 billion USD. > >The leaders of the Middle East centered their efforts on reviving the >talks between Israel and the Palestinians, but Tel Aviv's refusal to >withdraw from eastern Jerusalem, where the Palestinians plan to >have their future state capital, made any progress impossible. > >The African continent was given special attention through a Summit >declaration adopted by acclamation, in which the heads of state and >government committed themselves to promoting democracy, >strengthening respect for human rights and halting the spread of AIDS. > >Festus Mogae, president of Botswana, launched a dramatic appeal, >noting that each day lost to action is a day too late for the African >peoples. He added that the people of Africa are crying out for help, >and the world must respond while there is still time. > >The rhetorical response of the powerful came in a speech which was >more paternalistic than practical, given by the British Prime Minister >Tony Blair, who urged the leaders to enter a new era of alliance with >the African continent, in order to aid the Africans to resolve their >conflicts and develop their economies. > >_________________________ >September 9, 2000 >Tribute to Fidel Castro in Harlem >http://www.granma.cu/ingles/sept1/tribu.htm > >NEW YORK, September 9 (PL).- Thousands of people honored >Cuban President Fidel Castro in Harlem, during a rally in solidarity >with the island organized by various sectors of the U.S. population, >including Cuban immigrants. > >The packed meeting, described by President Castro as an >expression of the healthiest and most noble friendship, took >place shortly after the close of the Millennium Summit, which >the Cuban president attended at the United Nations. > >In his speech, frequently interrupted by applause, the Cuban >leader, dressed in his traditional olive green uniform, spoke in >greater depth about the warning he issued at the Summit, >concerning the need to change the catastrophic situation in >which the world is living. > >The encounter was also an opportunity for Fidel to express >his appreciation for the affection with which he has always >been received by friends in the United States, despite the >fact that the U.S. government has maintained a tight economic >and political stranglehold on the island for more than 40 years. > >He recalled that on previous visits he has always received >support, as on this occasion, and that in 1960 he was welcomed >in Harlem; in 1995 he had a similar reception in the Bronx. > >Fidel said it was an honor to have been invited on this occasion >to that district bordering the river, in the midst of what he called >a river of the healthy and noble friendship. > >The rally was organized by the Committee to Welcome the >Cuban Delegation to the Millennium Summit, composed of >social and religious organizations, and it took place at the >Riverside Church, a Gothic-style building housing a >Protestant congregation. > >The crowd surpassed the 2,000 seats available, and the >organizers had to set up chairs in other areas of the building, >where guests followed the rally on closed circuit television, >while hundreds of friends of Cuba also lined the streets outside. > >Prior to President Castro's speech, several Cuban films >were shown and the stage was decorated with a huge sign >welcoming President Castro, surrounded by a multitude >of Cuban flags. > >Shouts of "Down with the blockade," "Viva Fidel" and "Cuba Sí, >Blockade No" had a special meaning in New York, in the >presence of the Cuban leader and the members of the >delegation that accompanied him on his trip to attend the >largest meeting in the history of the United Nations. >____________________ >September 9, 2000 >Fidel returns to Cuba after intense New York sessions >http://www.granma.cu/ingles/sept1/regres.htm > >HAVANA, September 9 (PL).- Cuban President Fidel Castro >returned today to Havana following three intense days of work >in New York, where he attended the Millennium Summit, >sponsored by the United Nations. > >At 8:47 local time (12:27 GMT) the plane carrying the Cuban >leader landed. He was received by Cuban Vice President >Carlos Lage; José Ramón Machado Ventura, José Ramón >Balaguer, Esteban Lazo, all members of the Political Bureau >of the Communist Party of Cuba; and other state and >government leaders. > >During his stay in the United States, President Castro termed >the current world economic and political order "unsustainable" >and called on the UN to urgently save humanity. He offered the >services of some 3,000 Cuban doctors to deal with the spread >of AIDS and other diseases in Africa. > >In addition to attending the Summit, in which more than >150 heads of state or government participated, the Cuban >leader met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese >President Jiang Zemin, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, >Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong, Senegalese President >Abdoulaye Wade, Malaysian Prime Minister Matathir Mohamad >and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori. > >____________________ >September 9, 2000 >Shaking hands with Clinton >by Fidel Castro >http://www.granma.cu/ingles/sept1/38saludo.htm > >FOLLOWING the lunch given by the UN secretary-general, after >the opening session of the Millennium Summit had ended, we >were told to walk to the place where the official photo would be >taken. We walked toward that spot, almost one by one, along a >narrow path among the many tables. Barely four meters ahead, >I saw Clinton greeting various heads of state passing by there. >Out of courtesy, the president shook the hand of each one of >them. I couldn't run off to avoid walking through there, nor could >he run off. That would have been shameful cowardice on both >our parts. I moved forward along with everyone else. In about >two minutes I arrived at the spot where I had to pass in front of >him. Like the rest, I stopped for a few seconds, and in a totally >dignified and courteous manner I greeted him; he did the same, >and I moved on. It would have been extravagant and rude to do >anything else. The whole thing took less than 20 seconds. > >This minor incident became known quickly. Many press agencies >reported the facts in a kind tone. Scores of rumors went flying. >Poorly informed press spokespersons gave out various versions. > >The Miami mafia got hysterical. According to them, the president >had committed a great crime. That's the extreme to which their >fundamentalism goes. > >As for me, I am satisfied with my respectful and civilized behavior >toward the president of the country which hosted the Summit. > > > >Fidel Castro > > > > > > > > > >Post comments to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Send an email to subscribe: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >To unsubscribe from this CubaNews group, send an email to: > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
