From: "Walter Lippmann" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [CubaNews] Cuba prepared for world economic crisis GRANMA January 11, 2002 INTERVIEW WITH GOVERNMENT MINISTER RICARDO CABRISAS The island is prepared to confront the international economic crisis BY JOSÉ MAYO (Special for Granma International) CUBA is one of the few countries that is prepared to confront the worsening of the international economy during the present year, a result of neoliberal globalization and unipolar hegemony, affirmed Government Minister Ricardo Cabrisas. He added that for more than four decades the Cuban people have heroically and steadfastly resisted not only a criminal blockade by the most powerful nation in history, but also U.S. genocidal economic warfare aimed at destroying the Cuban Revolution. "It is a fact," he said, that in 2002 there will be more poverty and underdevelopment in the so-called Third World nations in which the majority of humanity lives." Cabrisas also referred to international events during the last months of 2001 in various continents where he traveled representing his country, and where various aspects of economic relations were discussed. He began by highlighting the importance of the recent 7th Ministerial Meeting of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) on the Venezuelan island of Margarita. He stressed that the consensus among participants in this regular session of the ACS Council of Ministers facilitated the approval of issues discussed at the 3rd Summit of heads of state and government of that regional body, which took place a few days previously in Venezuela with the participation of President Fidel Castro. "That meeting of Caribbean statespersons," he noted, "approved the Margarita Declaration, whose text makes reference to the need to defend preferential and distinct treatment for small economies, which has a certain logic, given that the overwhelming majority of the Caribbean countries are included in this category. These nations, he affirmed, are concerned about the implications for them of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), the U.S. brainchild which he described as an annexationist project. He went on to say that a regional strategy is needed to stand up to the FTAA, an undertaking that CARIFORUM - comprising the nations signatory to the Cotonou Agreement - has taken on. Cabrisas emphasized that Cuba entered that organization as a full member last October, after the approval of its members during the 11th Ministerial Meeting in the capital of Saint Lucia. Cabrisas mentioned a further Cuban international success in the field of economic relations in 2001: the approval - at a ministerial meeting of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group (ACP) in the Belgian capital - of a resolution on the island's access to the agreement between the European Union (EU) and ACP. "In this forum," he noted, "the ACP support for Cuba in its links with the EU was manifested in an open and frank manner and, moreover, the ACP called upon the EU to review its common position on our country, with a view to just and impartial treatment." Cabrisas pointed out that in the statement released at that meeting, the ACP noted its satisfaction with the recent renewal of political dialogue between Cuba and the EU. Furthermore, he reaffirmed that Cuba would not accept political or economic conditions, for any reason, in its relations with other nations, as has been amply demonstrated in the over 40-year conflict with the United States. Another event mentioned by Cabrisas was the 4th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), in the capital of Qatar last November, with the attendance of delegates from 142 countries and 388 non-governmental organizations, and where the Cuban delegation he headed laid out the island's positions on the diverse problems discussed in this forum. He highlighted a prevailing spirit of dissatisfaction among participants, due to the fact that proposals emerging from other meetings were not taken into consideration, while documents were presented which did not enjoy a general consensus. Cabrisas observed that once again it was confirmed in that event that the WTO continues to favor the industrialized countries. "Nor was any progress made toward a new round of negotiations to liberalize international trade, in order to offset the global crisis," he emphasized. The Cuban government minister noted that trade in the underdeveloped countries has remained at a standstill since the 1980s, highlighting the WTO's lack of political will to solve the real problems of the so-called Third World. Even though no significant gains for the underdeveloped countries emerged from the last WTO ministerial meeting in Qatar, Cabrisas highlighted one important agreement in the health field: a statement on intellectual property promoted by Cuba, Brazil and South Africa, confirming the right of states to apply national measures on the use of patents for pharmaceutical products, in order to combat diseases like AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, among others. Cabrisas concluded by pointing out that throughout this year, Cuba will continue battling against neoliberal globalization in meetings sponsored by international organizations, with the aim of eliminating its terrible and inhumane consequences. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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