-DATE- 19930402 -YEAR- 1993 -DOCUMENT TYPE- -AUTHOR- -HEADLINE- Castro Remarks on New Foreign Minister, Bids Farewell to Alarcon -PLACE- CARIBBEAN / Cuba -SOURCE- Havana Tele Rebelde and Cuba Vision Networks -REPORT NO.- FBIS-LAT-93-063 -REPORT DATE- 19930405 -HEADER- ======================================================================= Report Type: Daily report AFS Number: FL0204170693 Report Number: FBIS-LAT-93-063 Report Date: 05 Apr 93 Report Series: Daily Report Start Page: 2 Report Division: CARIBBEAN End Page: 4 Report Subdivision: Cuba AG File Flag: Classification: UNCLASSIFIED Language: Spanish Document Date: 02 Apr 93 Report Volume: Vol VI No 063 Dissemination: City/Source of Document: Havana Tele Rebelde and Cuba Vision Networks Report Name: Latin America Headline: Castro Remarks on New Foreign Minister, Bids Farewell to Alarcon Author(s): President Fidel Castro given at the Ministry of Foreign Relations in Havana on 1 April-recorded] Source Line: FL0204170693 Havana Tele Rebelde and Cuba Vision Networks in Spanish 0100 GMT 2 Apr 93 Subslug: [Speech by President Fidel Castro given at the Ministry of Foreign Relations in Havana on 1 April-recorded] -TEXT- FULL TEXT OF ARTICLE: 1. [Speech by President Fidel Castro given at the Ministry of Foreign Relations in Havana on 1 April-recorded] 2. [Text] Today, Commander in Chief Fidel Castro, president of the Councils of State and Ministers, attended the hail and farewell ceremony to officially present the new foreign minister, Roberto Robaina Gonzalez, and send off the former one, Ricardo Alarcon de Quesada. 3. [Begin Castro recording] [applause, audience chants: ``Fidel''] The fact of such a brilliant foreign minister as Alarcon's having to leave the position to occupy another position of great responsibility must have shaken up the ministry. Well, although it was difficult to find a new foreign minister, it was also quite difficult to find a president for the National Assembly, after the electoral process we had, and when we really needed someone who would symbolize that entire process. It was like a symbol of the role of the National Assembly, of its importance, of the nature of the electoral process that we have just had. I think Alarcon's presence in the National Assembly was the culminating point of that entire process. You have already seen with what unanimity Alarcon's candidacy was received within the National Assembly and how all the deputies present voted for him unanimously and with what unanimity his election was received by the population. 4. Well, we had solved a very important problem. We had solved the problem of the National Assembly. We still had to solve, however, the problem of the Ministry of Foreign Relations. A vacancy had occurred. How do we fill that vacancy? 5. Well, I imagine that if there had been a consultation process, we would have had thousands of candidates, because every mind harbors its own idea of who could be foreign minister, what so-and-so would be like. We were interested in people's opinion. We were interested in all that. We were interested, of course, in how a new minister was going to be received at the Foreign Ministry, regardless of who he might be. But possibly few people imagined that that new minister could be Robertico, because of the duties he was carrying out in the youth movement; because of the important role the youth movement plays; because he is not a Foreign Ministry career professional; because he is young; because he does not have experience in these matters. Thus, few people were expecting Robaina to be chosen for this Foreign Ministry position. 6. I have since racked my brain-and before, too, of course-thinking about who else could have been received unanimously here and by public opinion as well. And I really cannot come up with anyone. But, well, perhaps some might have been received with a greater or lesser consensus. I am sure no one would have aroused as much controversy as Robertico. Of that I am sure! [audience laughter] 7. Well, for one reason or another-either because he came from the organization, or because he was an ambassador, or because he was older, or had more overall experience in the Revolution, or whatever....[changes thought] But such a person would not have aroused as much passion, both in favor of and against, as Robertico has aroused. 8. I have listened to opinions. We have tried to get people's opinions. One of the things that came up most often was the matter of experience. That he did not have experience in this field, in this sphere. Some people argued that he does not speak foreign languages. In short, there were different ideas about the matter-among the revolutionary ranks, I mean. I am not talking about....[rephrases] When I talk about divided opinions and different views, I am talking about the revolutionary ranks. 9. Now, those concerns were very well-founded. They were justified. They were understandable, as much those who talked about experience as those who worried about how Robertico was going to dress the day he had to go to, oh, I do not know, the United Nations, let us say. [audience laughter] The United Nations is a very respectable place, but I imagine that the day I showed up there in one of these guerrilla uniforms [audience laughter]-and it is the uniform I have used all my life-it was kind of sensational. Some people might have thought it was not very diplomatic. 10. I remember that Krushchev actually took off a shoe, there at the United Nations, [audience laughter] to get people's attention. They were saying I do not know what and he wanted to protest; so he beat on the table with his shoe, there at the United Nations. That was, well, a sort of an Olympic record. [audience laughter] 11. Many such things have occurred at the United Nations. 12. But what I am trying to say is that the concerns of the revolutionary comrades from diverse spheres were worthy of being taken into account, and worthy of being respected, because they were well-founded concerns. They were based on something. Moreover, they also showed the great importance everyone places on the Ministry of Foreign Relations, the great importance everyone places on the position of foreign minister. Perhaps another ministry....[rephrases] with difficulty in another ministry....[changes thought] Because I know of cases in which, to a different ministry, some very competent but new and unknown comrade has come and yet that has not given rise to comments. People have read the file in the paper; and such cases have not elicited passions the way Robertico's appointment has. 13. That is to say that....[rephrases] This meant that the population in general, the revolutionary comrades, consider this position very important; that they are concerned about it, that they have an opinion regarding it, that it is a matter of the greatest interest. Some asked us if we in the Politburo and in the Council of State were crazy, for having made such a decision. 14. I do hope, Robertico, that that idea that we might be crazy will not turn out to be justified! [audience laughter] But, well, in any case, were this to turn out to be the case, it would at least be a collective craziness. [audience laughter] A very well-thought-out and well-analyzed craziness, thought out and analyzed on the basis of a whole series of circumstances of a political and practical nature, and analyzing the variants. And each was discussed, one by one, with all the....[rephrases] with many comrades. 15. I must say that the first two comrades who were asked for their opinion were Jose Ramon Balaguer and Ricardo Alarcon. They happened to be together and we even asked them what they thought and they began to work out theories [audience laughter] and mention names in an attempt to find a solution to the difficult problem of choosing a minister who could replace Alarcon. And when the name of Roberto Robaina was mentioned, they were speechless [se quedaron asi] [audience laughter]. And I am going to tell you that, both of them, both- because, in the first place, we wanted to have their opinion first of all-really liked the idea a great deal. They thought about it and they did indeed think about it! They expounded on the matter and I think all the other comrades on the Politburo who were consulted about the idea had the same opinion. 16. We know the kind of work Robertico has done when he has had to travel abroad, when he has had to talk to political figures and face big news conferences. We have seen his talent for and brilliance at tackling difficult issues and responding to difficult questions. Those are unquestionably characteristics required in a foreign minister, as is a deep political and revolutionary conviction! Those are real characteristics of Comrade Robaina, and those of us who know him, who have talked with (?him) many times, can attest to that. 17. Discipline. When I talked to Robertico alone one day to ask him his opinion about this-an occasion on which the first to be surprised, and the person most surprised, was himself....[changes thought] I also remember the time I talked to Robertico to give him a mission in Angola, as a political cadre there at a decisive moment in that war, when our troops were....[rephrases] when our troops were advancing toward the south, preparing for a tremendous counterattack that would solve the famous problem of Cuito Cuanavale, a great distance from there; that would force the enemy to withdraw from Angola. And that operation, in which 40,000 men were committed, and where important political work needed to be done with the young cadres....[changes thought] We asked the youth movement to send a number of cadres there, to be sort of instructors, or political officers, or whatever you wish to call them-to do political work with the troops, a thing so essential at a moment as decisive as that! 18. And I remember Robertico's answer, and the answer of the....[rephrases] as a youth cadre. I remember the enthusiasm, the discipline, the determination with which, in a matter of days, they got ready and marched off to fulfill that mission. 19. I have not spoken with Robertico only when it has been a matter of promotions to constant tasks, (?matters) of work to be done here in the country or other things. I have also spoken to him at moments such as that one, in which the lives of so many men were at stake and there was political work to be done. It is impossible for me to think that a person who has sufficient qualities to accomplish political work among young combatants in a war could fail to also have the political ability to do the job in the middle of this war that the diplomatic battle that our country is having to wage in all spheres against the most powerful empire on earth and in history constitutes. 20. We no longer had Alarcon here. Alarcon was undoubtedly the perfect foreign minister for us. Nevertheless, we had to find someone capable of developing the experience, the knowledge, the characteristics of Alarcon. Also....[rephrases] Well, we needed someone young. We have many cadres who are older but, well, would you be willing to have us send you a minister who is already 60, 65, or 70 years old? [audience answers: ``No!''] It is different if we come from way back, right? [audience laughter, applause] 21. If someone is going to start out new, it is different. It is better for him to be young [audience laughter] and learn. It is the young who are sent to study at the university. One no longer sends people 50 or 60 years old, or even people 45. One sends younger people because anyone seeing someone beginning a university career at age 45 years would say: What's with you, sir? [audience laughter] Can you not do something else? Why do they not send some young man there, to begin the university career! 22. They do not send....[changes thought] Well, when one is going to begin-in this field, specifically-to acquire experience that must be acquired, a young person is needed. Youth is indispensable, in diplomacy as in war. 23. Regarding youth, I was commenting yesterday at the Politburo meeting that had we not been the age we were when it happened, we would not have been able to climb the Turquino mountain range when we did, carrying 70-pound loads on our shoulders. And there is something else that must be taken into account: that the work of the Foreign Ministry, or the nation's foreign policy, is not the job of a single man. It is the job of a team, of a work group. Furthermore, it is the job of the Communist Party of Cuba [PCC], the Cuban Government, and the people of Cuba. As Alarcon used to say: Foreign policy is everyone's job. All of us have to conduct foreign policy. In fact, Alarcon himself, from within the National Assembly, has to conduct a great deal of foreign policy, through all these commissions and committees for relations with all the legislatures, through the legislatures of the world, and through the governments, and all that. 24. There were also other factors. This ministry is important internationally. And we also took into account the fact that Comrade Robaina has been a member of the Politburo for some time now. He is also a member of the Council of State. He has an important standing within the Revolution and within the PCC. It was also necessary for the comrade who replaced Alarcon to have as high a standing as possible, the greatest possible access to all sectors and all levels. That was very important. If we could just bring that into line with Robertico's energy, initiative, and creativity, we would be on our way to fashioning an idea of who....[rephrases] of a minister that....[rephrases] of who might be able to do that job- that [word or words indistinct] begin gathering all these characteristics. And I think, am convinced-as were all the rest of the comrades who expressed their opinion on this matter-that Robertico possesses all the qualifications to carry out these duties. And it is very good for him to feel committed to the revolution, to the PCC, to the Cuban people, to those who expressed an opinion in favor, and also to those who expressed an opinion against. He has to work very hard so that those who held a different opinion will one day have to say: Well, I must say that, indeed, once accepted, he is doing a good job. As I myself am sure he is going to do. [applause] [end recording] -END-