Latin American Network Information Center - LANIC

-DATE-
19720526
-YEAR-
1972
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
INTERVIEW
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
CASTRO CATEGORICALLY DENIES HE WILL MEET NIXON
-PLACE-
CUBA
-SOURCE-
HAVANA PRELA
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19720531
-TEXT-
CASTRO CATEGORICALLY DENIES HE WILL MEET NIXON

Havana PRELA in English 300 GMT 27 May 72 C--FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

[Text] Sofia, 26 May (PL)--Fidel Castro has categorically denied that he
has any intention of meeting President Richard Nixon in the near future, as
the Mexican press recently alleged. "I am not interested and what's more I
wouldn't accept any meeting of the type," the Cuban leader said.

He was speaking to more than a hundred newsmen on the eve of his departure
for Romania.

He said the Cuban position did not imply criticism of anybody. It was
simply the attitude whose opinion had not been sought by the imperialists
when they decided to impose their blockades or perpetuate their acts of
aggression.

Premier Castro referred to the conditions which the United States has
repeatedly stated to the prerequisites for the normalizing the relations
with his country. He reiterated "we will not break our links with the
Soviet Union, nor with the socialist camp, nor will we allow the
neuralization or the Cuban revolution, nor will we give up supporting the
revolutionary movement." He pointed out that these were "Cuba's firm and
intransigent positions. We are not prepared to give an inch in our
position."

"What have we got to talk about the Nixon?" the Cuban leader asked. He
replied to his own question: "Nixon doesn't interest us Nixon's getting old
and revolutions are young. They have become the order of the day. The times
are in favor of the revolution."

In reply to a French reporter Prime Minister Castro pointed out that:
"Nixon is fighting like a desperate man to get himself reelected for
another 4 years. "And what does it matter to us if we have to wait 2, 4, or
10 years? We have stood up to the toughest and most difficult of tests and
we've come out on top. We have survived. We have raised a revolutionary
banner. We have become a revolutionary bulwark in the Caribbean, a support
and example for revolutions in the Latin American continent and it would
not make any kind of sense for us to make concessions to the United
States."

Premier Castro made it extremely clear that "Nixon is the one who has to
make the move" if there was to be any question of talks. But first Nixon
would have to:

--Stop his "world policement: policy;

--Stop his attacks and acts of intervention against Latin American
countries;

--Stop his war in Vietnam;

--Stop his blockade of Cuba;

--Withdraw the Guantanamo naval base from Cuba's territory.

Prime Minister Castro made it clear that the Americans would have to meet
all these requirements and meet then unconditionally.

"They didn't talk it over with us when they imposed their blockade on Cuba.
We haven't got anything to talk over with them now. That's out position, I
can't understand why all these reports keep coming out about a possible
meeting. We are not interested in any kind of meeting with Nixon and Nixon
knows that perfectly well. And Kissinger and all the advisers that go with
him know it better than anybody.

"These gentlemen won't be going to Havana nor will they have any kind of
meeting with us. We have nothing to discuss with them.

"Have you all got that clear?" Premier Castro asked the newsmen.
-END-


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