Embassy of Cuba in New Zealand Newsletter 2nd June 2013

Embassy of Cuba in New Zealand
Newsletter
No.14 2nd June 2013

Upcoming events

30th - 5th 5 Days for the Five in Washington
3rd - 5th World Wind Energy Conference & Renewable Energy Exhibition
18th - 20th FORMA International Meeting on Design

In this issue

Cuba begins digital television tests
Cuba and India promote bilateral relations
African FMs adopt motion of support and gratitude towards Cuba
Cuba and Algeria expand bilateral cooperation
Cuba boosts gender equality and social inclusion of women
Russia and Cuba sign political consultation plan
Solidarity event dedicated to Cuban Five begins in Washington
Washington denies visas to Cuban athletes
Cuba rejects its inclusion as a sponsor of terrorism
Bonds between Cuba and China are at their strongest, says Guo Jinlong
Experts recommend Washington to change policy towards Cuba

Cuba begins digital television tests
May 27th
Cuba will begin digital television tests in June as part of preparations to progressively introduce the new technology in the country, in line with international technological development.
A press release issued by the Cuban Ministry of Communications states that the test will include the transmission of digital TV signals using the Chinese Digital Terrestrial Multimedia Broadcast (DTMB), which will allow testing the transmission of signals and their real-time reception in homes.
The ministry says that homes in the selected areas of Havana will be provided with decoding receivers allowing residents to watch the digital signals in their current TV sets in order to achieve appropriate geographical distribution under different reception conditions within the whole area of Havana.
Under the experiment, the decoding equipment will be provided with no cost, while its distribution and technical installation will be charged at 7.35 Cuban pesos. Current analogical transmissions will not be affected, the press release explains.
The test area will allow fine-tuning technical, economic and organizational steps towards the progressive implementation of digital television by regions throughout the country, according to local economic possibilities.
The equipment to be used in the test was donated to Cuba by the Chinese government as part of an accord signed by both governments, the press release reads.

Cuba and India promote bilateral relations
May 27th
Bruno Rodriguez, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba, and Hamid Ansari, Vice-president of India, analyzed on Monday on New Delhi the state of bilateral relations and the promotion of strategies to strengthen them.
The Cuban FM presented Ansari, also president of the Indian Parliament’s Upper Chamber, possibilities to encourage the bonds of trade and cooperation existing between that south-Asian nation and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), of which the island hold the pro tempore chairmanship.
Founded a little over two years ago in Caracas, Venezuela, the CELAC has set itself the objective of boosting trade with Asia, a region that brings together over one third of the world population and where economies as dynamic as those of India and China emerge, the Prensa Latina news agency reported.
In the warm and cordial atmosphere characterizing the historic bonds that exist between the two countries, Rodriguez also assessed topics of common interest related to the situation in their respective regions and the world.
During his third and last day of official visit to New Delhi, Rodriguez plans to meet with his Indian counterpart, Salman Khurshid.
Agriculture, pharmaceuticals, communications, computing and tourism are some of the fields in which Indian experts identify great possibilities for economic cooperation with Cuba.

African FMs adopt motion of support and gratitude towards Cuba
May 27th
The Foreign Ministers of the African Union (AU) adopted by consensus on Thursday a motion of support and appreciation towards Cuba for its contribution to the emancipation of Africa.
The executive secretary of Southern Africa’s Development Community (SADC), Tomaz Salomao, of Mozambique, explained that the text also states to be categorically in favor of the lifting of the U.S. economic blockade of Cuba, the Granma newspaper reported on Friday.
The Executive Council of the AU put the motion approved in Addis Ababa to the heads of State and Government for consideration, which will hold in the Ethiopian capital their 21st Summit on May 26 and 27, after attending festivities for the 50th anniversary of the creation of the African Union Organization.

Cuba and Algeria expand bilateral cooperation
May 27th
The expert meeting of the 18th session of the Cuba-Algeria Joint Intergovernmental Commission kicked off on Monday in Algiers.
The meeting was opened by the general director for The Americas of Algeria’s Foreign Ministry Sabri Boukadoum and by Cuban ambassador to Algiers Eumelio Caballero.
“Our two states share relations of friendship marked by strong historic roots and we want to keep deepening such links,” said Boukadoum in his opening remarks of the meeting.
The two countries are aligned in terms of foreign policy and share coincident positions in the international arena, he said.
The meeting is being attended by a large Algerian delegation from the Health Ministry given the prominence of this sector in bilateral relations with Cuba. Also attending are delegates from the sectors of agriculture, finances, the industry, trade, water resources, tourism, energy, communications, defense, sports, and others.
Cuba is being represented at the forum by officials from the Foreign Trade and Investment Ministry, the Chamber of Commerce, the Water Resources Institute, Medical Services, and entities from the sports and the metal sectors, among others.
The island’s ambassador to Algiers said that Cuba and Algeria maintain political relations at the highest level, and that their next step is to keep working towards the consolidation of cooperation projects in specific sectors, as well as to explore opportunities in others.

Cuba boosts gender equality and social inclusion of women
May 29th
Representatives of Cuban civil society and government organizations here today agreed to promote actions to promote gender equality and social inclusion of women on the island.
In the second and final day of a seminar for the Evaluation of the Action Plan for Monitoring the Fourth UN Conference on Women, more than a hundred delegates changed or added measures to the so-called Beijing Plan.
The changes seek to strengthen the women related issues such as health, sexual and reproductive rights, research, legislation, community and social work and education.
The list of proposals of the forum, which was held yesterday at the Havana Convention Center, includes system integration of a national training program on gender studies and the development of strategies in television and radio.
At the start of the second day, Teresa Amarelle, secretary general of the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC), informed the representatives of civil society and government sectors the previous day's discussions led to 49 initiatives to the original document.
Beijing Plan outlines a set of 90 measures to be met by organizations and other entities to ensure the advancement of women in society.
The initiative came after the VI World Conference on Women, when the FMC convened to assess the platform approved at the meeting.

Russia and Cuba sign political consultation plan
May 30th
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and Cuba’s Bruno Rodriguez, signed today the Inter-Ministerial Consultation Plan for the 2014-2016 biennium, at the end of bilateral talks, with participation of both delegations.
After a ceremony in the presence of the press, Lavrov highlighted the results of the talks with Rodriguez, a day after the meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia and the extended troika of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), with Cuba as a president in the regional organization.
The signing of the joint plan creates firm basis for the coordination of common positions in the international arena, at the same time noted the coincidence of positions on regional and international current issues, Lavrov said.
Rodriguez stressed the excellent state of relations between Russia and Cuba, the existence of a promising potential, and progresses in the intergovernmental agreements, after Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Havana in February.
The ties cover a wide spectrum of cooperation, in which energy and civil aviation stand out as promising aspects, the minister cited as an example, as well as talked of the strengthening of academic, scientific, cultural, sports and tourism bonds.
Cuban ambassador to the Russian Federation, Emilio Lozada, Minister of the Multilateral Affairs Department, Pedro Luis Pedroso, and Minister of the Europe and Canada Department, Elio Rodriguez, also participated in the official talks.
This is the second visit of the Cuban foreign minister to Russia, after one held in February 2011, as part of a tour of the Commonwealth of Independent States, which included Azerbaidzhan, Belarus, and Ukraine

Solidarity event dedicated to Cuban Five begins in Washington
May 30th
Parliamentarians, jurists, writers, journalists, trade unionists, human rights organizations, religious leaders and activists from 22 countries are participating in a conference here today to support the Cuban Five, who were convicted in the United States for fighting terrorism.
The event, organized by the International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban Five (Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez and Rene Gonzalez) will also call for change in U.S. government policy toward Cuba.
Representatives from Argentina, Barbados, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Greece, Haiti, Italy, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Spain, Sweden, Venezuela and the host country, are already in the capital, venue for the most important event regarding the Five this year.
Rene Gonzalez, the first of the Five to be released in October 2011 after serving his sentence but forced to remain in the U.S. for parole, has now returned permanently to Cuba after renouncing his U.S. citizenship.
González will speak today in a videoconference from Havana at a press conference that will open the day.
Other details of the program show that nearly 20 activities are scheduled through June 5, among them a demonstration outside the White House that has aroused great interest.
The demonstrators will meet on June 1 in front of the executive residence, under the slogan "Enough! Free the Cuban Five Now!"
In another event known as the Second Five Days for the Five in Washington DC, which will become a space for reflection and exchange of ideas, the attenders will demand that Barack Obama "as the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner and in his capacity as president, as well as a lawyer, put an end to this terrible injustice," say the organizers.
Freethefive.org

Washington denies visas to Cuban athletes
May 31st
The Cuban National Athletics Commission announced that the US Interest Section in Havana denied entry visas to Cuban athletes Yipsi Moreno and Yargelis Savigne, who expected to contest the 4th stage of the Eugene Diamond League, in the United States.
Moreno a three-time world champ hammer thrower (Edmonton-2001, Paris-2003 and Helsinki-2005), and Olympic silver in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, expected to make her debut at the Diamond League on Saturday.
Savigne would also make her first presentation at the meet after having won the world crown in triple jump at Osaka 2007.
Given the US visa denial, Cuba will only be represented by Orlando Ortega (110 meter hurdles), who is already in the United States after he participated at the fourth stage of the meet last Saturday in New York, PL news agency reported on Friday.
This is not the first time that renowned Cuban sports figures are denied entry visas by US authorities. Other athletes who have been targets of the measures include Javier Sotomayor, high jump Olympic champ and Alberto Juantorena, two-time Olympic champ in 400 and 800 meters in Montreal 1976.
The 3rd Diamond League, with 14 track and field stages in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas, already held its first three rounds in Doha, Shanghai and New York.
Winners in each of the 32 athletics disciplines, included in the championship, will receive a money prize and a diamond trophy, along with their designation and Number One athletes in their sports modalities.

Cuba rejects its inclusion as a sponsor of terrorism
May 31st
After the announcement by the U.S. government to include Cuba in the list of States Sponsors of Terrorism, civil society members and the general public rejected here today that decision.
"It is difficult to understand why they say Cuba is sponsoring terrorism. Each year the Department of State uses the same arguments and ignores the public opinion," said Darian Rodriguez, who works for the Office of the Historian of Havana.
For her, the U.S. has no interest in hearing Cuba’s arguments. "It is simple, it bothers them to accept Cuba's achievements and that is a way to torpedo our international recognition, especially in the region", she added.
Journalist Olga Ruiz saw the inclusion as a joke that undermines the legitimacy and credibility of the policies of that government.
According to Ruiz, the list responds to the interests of Obama’s administration and certain lobbyists not to objective realities.
Several NGOs also denounced the decision.
Read the statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in full

Bonds between Cuba and China are at their strongest, says Guo Jinlong
May 31st
Guo Jinlong, member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of the Peoples Republic of China, stated on Thursday in Havana that relations between the parties and governments of his country and Cuba are in the best moment of their history.
The visitor is on the island at the invitation of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party (CC-PCC) and was received at Havana’s Jose Marti International Airport by Jose Ramon Balaguer, member of the Secretariat of that organization.
After expressing his appreciation for the reception, Jinlong, also Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPCh) in Beijing, pointed out that his visit is aimed at promoting mutual exchanges and knowledge between the two Parties and particularly cooperation between Beijing and Havana.
Balaguer explained that Cuba is involved in the updating of its economic model a process governed by the Guidelines of the Economic and Social Policy of the Party and the Revolution agreed at the 6th Congress of the PCC in April, 2011.
Accompanying Jinlong are Ye Qingchun, permanent member of the Municipal Committee and Municipal Secretary for Disciplinary Control of the CPCh, Zhao Fengtong, member of the Permanent Comité and General Coordinator of the Municipal Committee of the CPCh in Beijing; and Zhan Gong, deputy mayor of the Chinese capital, as well as a work team of 15 members.
The distinguished guest will meet with Cuban Party and Government authorities, will inaugurate a photovoltaic park at the EXPOCUBA showground on Sunday, will sign agreements with the Cuban party, and will return to his country that same day.

Experts recommend Washington to change policy towards Cuba
May 31st
US experts, speaking at the 31st Congress of the Latin American Studies Association in Washington, agreed on the need for a change of policy towards Cuba.
Such a step would be in correspondence with the current situation and the position of the rest of the countries in the hemisphere about the importance of the normalization of the links between Cuba and the US. Wayne Smith, former head of the US diplomatic mission in Cuba and Robert Muse, another expert, coincided in the need for Washington to express its disposition to start dialogues to solve the differences.
Smith remembered all the countries of the region have relations with Cuba, except the US, and this shows the isolation of the US policy towards Cuba.
"We should change our policy. We are alone," said the US former diplomat in his intervention in one of the panels in the congress, in session from May 29 to June 1st.
He also reminded that every year, the United Nations General Assembly votes mostly against the US policy, and the countries of the region expressed their rejection to the celebration of meetings in which the presence of Cuba were not permitted, in the 2012 Summit of the Americas.
"All the countries in the world congratulated the election of Raul Castro as President of Cuba. US did not recognize this, and it brought the disagreement with this position of even some important European allies," Smith said.
Muse, for his part, said that there are areas in which an approach can be made, with practical actions to eliminate the blockade to Cuba, and that both nations should negotiate the signing of an agreement for protection of investments, as one of the US government’s actions as a response to the Cuban economic updating process.
"To achieve it, work should be centered on a coalition influencing people able to make modifications to the US anti-Cuban policy," Muse said.
With more than 7,000 members from different regions (45 percent from the US) LASA is considered the biggest group of experts on Latin America in the entire world.

Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in New Zealand
76 Messines Rd, Karori, Wellington 6012
www.cubadiplomatica.cu/nuevazelanda/EN/Home.aspx

© Scoop Media