Malaysian Cooperation with Cuba - Granma Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit sender: jclancy@peg.apc.org Wed Oct 22 17:54:25 1997 source: Granma, Havana VISIT OF MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER A "MILESTONE" Rodolfo Casals -Granma journalist- states, "The 3-day visit to Cuba by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr.Mahathir Mohamad, marked a milestone in bilateral relations and demonstrated the desire of that country, one of the so-called Asian tigers, to develop links with the Caribbean island. The Malaysian leader held talks with President Fidel Castro and was decorated with the highest distinction granted by the Cuban Council of State, the Jose Marti National Order. In the solemn ceremony, Cuban Vice-President Carlos Lage acknowledged the role played by Malaysia and its prime minister in particular, to promote South-South cooperation and to build a common front against political, economic and cultural hedgemony. Dr. Mahathir was accompanied by a large delegation of senior gover- nment officials, including ministers and deputies and a large repre- sentation of enterprises interested in doing business with the island The two nations signed various agreements aimed at strengthening bilateral relations, including an investment promotion and protection accord and one on trade cooperation. Trade prospects were assured particularly in the food, pharmaceutical, biotechnological, tourist, sugar and construction sectors. During a speech in Havana, Mahathir Mohamad called on all Third World countries to form a common front in the UnitedNations to defend their legitimate interests, and reject the policies of the developed countries. He stated that he was very satisfied with his visit to Cuba, as it gave him the opportunity to comprehend the island's realities and to participate in talks at the highest level. He affirmed that bilateral relations between the two member coun- tries of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries would not be deterred by the Helms-Burton Act (passed by the US congress to inntensify its economic war against Cuba), adding that all the members of any inter- national organization must have equal rights, and must not allow nations with more powerful economies to impose themselves on weaker countries. The Prime Minister noted his country's need to seek out new assoc- iations and links for its economic growth through trade and invest- ment, and that for this reason Malaysia wants to find new friends in Latin America and the Caribbean. The visit to Cuba is an expression of that desire to establish and develop relations with the island. Malaysia could be a launching pad for Cuban goods and services, particularly in terms of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, among the members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), which covers a market of approx. 500 million people. Subsequent to his Cuban visit, the Malaysian PM attended the 12th Asia-Pacific Council on Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Santiago CHILE and was then due to visit URUGUAY and ARGENTINA. Malaysia, with a surface area of 330,000 square kilometres and some 20 million inhabitants, is one of the nations which condemns the double standard shown by the industrialized countries in internation- al relations. It is also demanding a revision of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights approved by the UN in 1948 (a move opposed by the US and the EU) because it considers that concept of human rights as an attempt by the Western powers to impose their values universally. Granma Journalist JOAQUIN ORAMAS continues -- Cooperation with Malaysia is possible in many fields according to the delegation leader of more than 80 Malaysian business people exploring opportunities on the island. "We've heard the presentation on business opportunities in Cuba, on how they are trying to solve the crisis their country is going through in a very brave, determined way and it has been demonstrated that this is the right way to solve the difficulties." This was the viewpoint expressed by Tan Sri Datuk Francis Yeoh Sock Ping, the leader of this large delegation which accompanied Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad on his official visit to Cuba. The delegation was provided with details on the current situation in Cuba by the Minister of the Economy and Planning -Jose Luis Rodrigez, Chamber of Commerce President Carlos Martinez Salsamendi and the deputy ministers for trade, tourism, foreign investment and economic cooperation, transportation, finance and construction. The visitors also attended the opening of an exhibition of Malaysian-made products displayed on the Havana thoroughfare known as La Rampa. Yeoh Sock Ping said he was confident that Cuba was on the right track for foreign investment, that his delegation was composed of more than 60 representatives from such sectors as electrical power, communications and airlines, as well as those involved in the hotel industry and basic commodities -including one of the world's largest sugar trading firms. This established the variety of areas where the two countries would cooperate. "PM Mahathir Mohamad is one of the founders of South-South cooperation and confidently acknowledges the tremendous potential for cooperation among the nations of the southern hemisphere," he said, and added that the contacts made during this visit could have considerable results. He cited as an example the fact that following the Malaysian PM's visit to Central and South America, the Malaysian national airline initiated flights to South America and from there to South Africa and from there to Kuala Lumpur, thus greatly facilitating trade with Latin America. According to Yeoh Sock Ping, sectors like electrical power, basic commodities trading and tourism top the list of Malaysia's business interests in Cuba. He said he felt optimistic about the results of the latest contacts in Cuba and about the path being followed by the island, where the arrival of over a million tourists demonstrates the success of the policies being implemented. When asked to comment on the influence that the Malaysian prime minister's visit to Cuba might have on the other countries of Asia, he explained, "Dr. Mahathir Mohamad is a statesman in contact with other figures, and when he visits a country, it usually receives the attention of others. That is why I believe this visit will serve to promote Cuba, and we will be followed by businesspeople from the rest of SouthEast Asia." He also emphasized the considerable potential for trade between the two nations, particularly the export of Cuban sugar to Malaysia and of Malaysian rice to Cuba." JC ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytas-10.22.97-23:02:56-25146