• He considers it significant that the accusation coincides with his visit
                   • Views the island as virtually the only place in the world to make
                   scientific discoveries out of humanitarian rather than commercial
                   sentiments • Receives extensive explanation of Cuban scientific
                   institutes

                   BY MIREYA CASTAÑEDA (Granma International staff writer)

                   JIMMY Carter, former president of the United States, declared
                   today that before his visit to Havana he had asked the White
                   House whether U.S. intelligence agencies had any evidence
                   that Cuba was contributing to or sharing information that
                   could be utilized for bioterrorism, and that the answer he
                   received was NO.

                   Carter made that statement at the Genetic Engineering and
                   Biotechnology Center, in the presence of President Fidel
                   Castro, outstanding Cuban scientists and dozens of journalists
                   from the United States, Cuba and elsewhere.

                   After the directors of the island’s most prestigious scientific
                   centers gave an extensive and detailed explanation of their
                   research and results, Carter stated that he had to comment
                   on recent allegations linking Cuba to bioterrorism, given that
                   they coincided with his visit (which began May 12).

                   He added that in preparing for his visit he had informational
                   meetings with the State Department, intelligence agencies
                   and other individuals on the subject of bioterrorism, and
                   emphasized that there was no basis whatsoever for an
                   allegation in that respect.

                   Carter went on to say that he had specifically asked if there
                   was any degree of evidence that Cuba was supporting
                   terrorist activities in any part of the world, or was sharing
                   information that could subsequently be utilized for
                   bioterrorism, and that the answer was "No."

                   The former president added that he found it very significant
                   that the accusation came at the time that it did, and saw his
                   tour of the Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Center as
                   an appropriate opportunity, because according to the
                   propaganda, the island had given that kind of information to
                   Libya and Iran. He said he had learned that Cuba has no
                   cooperation with Libya and only an initial agreement with
                   Iran.

                   Carter referred to the existence, in Iran’s case, of normative
                   contracts preventing any incorrect use of this kind of
                   information.

                   He affirmed that he was amazed by the Cuban people’s and
                   the government’s dedication and hard work in the scientific
                   field, and he highlighted the importance of their humanitarian
                   decision to share that effort with the rest of the world.

                   The 39th president of the United States stated that Cuba
                   could be unique case in terms of the humanitarian sentiment
                   it has given to its scientific discoveries, over and above
                   seeking economic dividends, and said that he was impressed
                   by the scope of Cuban cooperation. In that regard, he
                   expressed his personal thanks for the help Cuba has given to
                   millions of people in the world.

                   He termed the island’s health coverage and results as
                   impressive, particularly the vaccines for children, and
                   expressed his hope that in the future there would be Cuban
                   medical cooperation with his country.

                   Carter thanked and congratulated the scientists who offered
                   the information on the centers and institutes.

                   The first exposition came from Dr. Luis Herrera, director of the
                   Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Center (CIGB), who
                   included general aspects of Cuba’s scientific development and
                   the research and results of the CIGB — fundamentally in the
                   health field — for example, the hepatitis B vaccine certified
                   by the World Health Organization (WHO).

                   More than 1,200 scientists work at the CIGB and the center is
                   a member of many international organizations, such as the
                   WHO, the UN Development Program, the Pan-American Health
                   Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, UNICEF
                   and UNESCO. "One proof of our transparency could be the
                   close to 400 articles published in international scientific
                   reviews by our researchers," Herrera noted.

                   "The center has 150 patents registered in Cuba, 66 in other
                   countries and some 500 applications throughout the world.
                   There are technology transfer agreements with 14 countries
                   (Algeria, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, India, Iran, Malaysia,
                   Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Tunisia, United Kingdom/United
                   States and Venezuela."

                   Naturally, the issue of the technology transfers caught
                   Carter’s attention. He asked about contracts, clauses for the
                   utilization of technology and confirmations.

                   Dr. Herrera affirmed that everything is included in the
                   contracts and explained that at this stage the vaccine
                   manufacturing plant in Iran is not operational.

                   Then Dr. José M. Miyar Barruecos, secretary of the Council of
                   State, spoke on this subject, confirming that the contracts
                   include rigorous mechanisms regarding the technology
                   supplied, which is, he stated: "for that product alone and
                   none other."

                   President Fidel Castro mentioned China’s expressed interest
                   in a technology transfer for cancer vaccines (Cuba has four
                   patents), because with 1.3 billion inhabitants, it is the only
                   way that country could acquire them.

                   The Cuban leader recalled that in all the international
                   conferences, the Third World countries stress the need for
                   technology transfers, and he specified Africa’s AIDS pandemic.

                   In this regard, Fidel spoke about The Carter Center’s concern
                   about disease in Africa. He said that yesterday (Sunday, May
                   12) he had talked about the programs for fighting tropical
                   diseases, "but we have barely talked about AIDS."

                   Regarding the AIDS situation, Carter explained that he and
                   his wife Rosalynn had traveled to Africa at the beginning of
                   the year, and had come to understand that a great deal
                   depended on government attitudes. He gave the example of
                   Botswana, where one third of the population is HIV-positive,
                   and in other countries the problem is even more serious
                   because they don’t even have any statistics. Many people
                   there don’t know what AIDS is, or how it is transmitted, and
                   they don’t have doctors, he pointed out.

                   Dr. Concepción Campa, director of the Carlos J. Finlay
                   Institute, explained the vaccine program. According to her
                   figures, the Institute produces a total of 10 vaccines
                   (including those against meningitis and hepatitis B); eight
                   more are being developed and 13 are in the research phase
                   (to fight cholera, dengue, AIDS and tuberculosis, among
                   others).

                   As for the meningitis B vaccine, unique in the world and
                   patented in 19 countries, Dr. Campa told the visitors about
                   the agreements between the Finlay Institute and the
                   GlaxoSmithKline pharmaceutical corporation, for its
                   commercialization in the United States and Great Britain. She
                   noted that Glaxo spent two years applying to the Treasury
                   Department for the corresponding license, which was finally
                   granted in 1999.

                   Campa announced that the Finlay Institute has made an
                   investment for the production of the DPT (diphtheria,
                   pertussis, tetanus) vaccine, given that this vaccine is in short
                   supply. Ten of the 14 factories in other countries that once
                   made it have halted production because the price dropped
                   below seven cents a unit.

                   Agustín Lage, director of the Molecular Immunology Center,
                   described the research and development of eight cancer
                   vaccines which are therapeutic as well as preventative. Four
                   of them are in the clinical trial phase.

                   Meanwhile, Luis Yero, director of the Immunoassay Center,
                   characterized the 24 kinds of diagnostic kits for 15 diseases
                   that have been developed at his institution. They are capable
                   of detecting genetic malformations (more than two million
                   pregnant women have been tested and 5,266 defects have
                   been found), HIV and hypothyroidism, as well as some
                   diseases that do not exist in Cuba, such as Chagas’ disease.
                   The Immunoassay Center has 167 laboratories in Cuba and
                   another 234 in Latin America.

                   Michel Valdés, director of the International Neurological
                   Restoration Center (CIREN), spoke about the serious effects
                   in children caused by hearing problems. CIREN has developed
                   the AUDIX system to detect such problems and it is used in
                   Cuba to test babies under 17 months of age. This technology
                   has been transferred to Canada, Colombia, Mexico and China,
                   to which Venezuela and South Africa will be added in the near
                   future.

                   Dr. Valdés also presented a piece of equipment for minimum
                   access brain surgery, utilized for the treatment of Parkinson’s
                   disease. He pointed out that Atlanta’s Emory University
                   (where one of the U.S. delegation’s members works as a
                   professor) has collaborated in the clinical trials.

                   Jimmy Carter termed this scientific panorama, from which the
                   whole Cuban population benefits as well as being shared with
                   the rest of the world, as amazing, impressive and
                   humanitarian.