-DATE-
19880812
-YEAR-
1988
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
REPORT
-AUTHOR-
F.CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
CASTRO ON BARCO MEETING
-PLACE-
CUBA
-SOURCE-
BOGOTA INRAVISION
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
-TEXT-
Castro on Barco Meeting
PA1208043488 Bogota Invavision Television Cadena 2 in Spanish 0015 GMT 12
Aug 88

[Report by Maria Luisa Mejia from Ecuador]

[Text]  Colombian President Virgilio Barco and Cuban President Fidel Castro
met for more than an hour today in the Colombian president's suite.  The
meeting, which began at 1100, was also attended by Colombian legislators
Galan, Meza, and Samper.

Contrary to expectations, the meeting did not result in a resumption of
diplomatic relations between the two countries.

[Begin recording]  [Castro]  One cannot talk about the resumption of
relations.  We have had relations, without formalities.  There has been a
respectful interchange whenever necessary.  We have trade relations.  There
was nothing formal.  We did not even have time to speak about that.  The
hour went by rapidly.  It flew.

[Reporter]  Commander, Colombia is seriously affected by guerrilla
activity.  Do you think such activities could have a successful conclusion
as they did in Cuba and Nicaragua?

[Castro]  You are asking me something inappropriate for me to philosophize
about.  We have talked about problems that transcend our two countries,
which has made this meeting very useful, very advisable, in my opinion.  We
have spoken more about general problems, problems that generate other
problems.  That is what we talked about--not effects, but causes of the
situation and the objective problems that affect our hemisphere.  [end
recording]
-END-