-DATE-
19870323
-YEAR-
1987
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
MEETING
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
CASTRO PRESIDES OVER REGIONAL PLANNING MEETING
-PLACE-
PALACE OF CONVENTIONS
-SOURCE-
HAVANA RADIO REBELDE
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19870324
-TEXT-
CASTRO PRESIDES OVER REGIONAL PLANNING MEETING

FL232015 Havana Radio Rebelde Network in Spanish 1700 GMT 23 Mar 87

[Report by Gisela Bel Heredia]

[Text] Commander in Chief Fidel Castro, president of the Councils of State
and Ministers, presided over the opening session of the Sixth Conference of
the Latin American and Caribbean Planning Ministers and Chiefs that began
this morning at the Palace of Conventions in Havana with the attendance of
more than 20 countries of the region, Spain, and regional and international
organizations. Carlos Rafael Rodriguez, vice president of the Cuban Council
of State, was the last of the five speakers during the first session of
this conference that will continue through 25 March.

Planning, even in a centralized economy, is only an instrument. The
important thing is how it is used and the principles applied in economic
management. For this, it becomes indispensable to heighten the political
awareness of man, Rodriguez said after mentioning the deficiencies that
exist in our country despite the fact that we are working with a planned
economy. Regarding the main topic for this conference, Rodriguez said that
the issues is not the search for a common agreement for each of our
countries. He declared:

[Begin recording] There is something that we can agree upon and that is
that we must defend the independent and assured future of our American
lands and move our peoples toward the necessary changes that will bring
this about. This is a commitment that does not brook postponement. Rest
assured that in this task, described as the second war of independence in
Latin America, Cuba will be present at your side. Thank you. [end
recording]

The other speakers at this session were Mexico's Carlos Salinas de Gortari,
outgoing President of the Cooperation and Coordination System among Latin
American planning organizations; Norberto Gonzalez, ECLA executive
secretary, and (Hugo Navajas), regional director for the International
Development Association. They all expanded on the need for fostering a
better future based on the objectives of this meeting: the role of the
national planning organizations in regional cooperation and integration
within a strategy of reactivation and development.

Dr. (Alfredo Costafulla), director of the Latin American Institute for
Economic and Social Planning, the main organization sponsoring this
conference, has expressed his hope that the results of this meeting will
help achieve the goals of regional integration and cooperation.

The plenary session continues with the presentation of the document that
will be the basis for discussion at this great planning conference being
held for the first time in the Cuban capital.
-END-