-DATE- 19770410 -YEAR- 1977 -DOCUMENT_TYPE- REMARKS -AUTHOR- F.CASTRO -HEADLINE- COMMENTS ON CUBAN-U.S. RELATIONS -PLACE- SANTA MARIA DEL MAR -SOURCE- MADRID EFE -REPORT_NBR- FBIS -REPORT_DATE- 19770411 -TEXT- Comments on Cuban-U.S. Relations Madrid EFE in Spanish 0355 GMT 10 Par 77 PA [Text] Santa Maria del Mar, Cuba, 9-Apr--Cuban State Council President Fidel Castro said today that the United States is torn between President Carter's idealism and the country's reality. He defined President Carter as a man with deep religious convictions, and when asked if he would like to meet with President Carter, Castro answered that he would rather wait and see what happens in the United States. In that country, according to Castro, "There is a great contradiction between idealism and reality." Castro then asked: What will prevail in the end, Carter's idealism or U.S. reality? Questioned on the process of normalizing relations with the United States, the top Cuban leader, who returned Friday from a 40-day tour of 10 countries, said: "I am not a pessimist, but this will take time." He then said that the lifting of the ban against U.S. citizens visiting Cuba, sports exchanges, especially this week's visit by a basketball team, three legislators and some 40 newsmen to Havana, were positive facts. He said that U.S. companies had already proposed bringing U.S. tourists to Cuba and said that these proposals were being analyzed. "Although," he added, "the visit of U.S. citizens presents some problems. We do not have sufficient hotels." "U.S. citizens will be received in our country with respect and cordiality," Castro said. A little earlier he had said that Cuba is hospitable and respects the North American people. -END-