FORMER JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER RYUTARO HASHIMOTO TRAVELED TO CUBA Tokio EFE Northern Light Octubre 3, 2001 Former Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto traveled to Cuba on Wednesday for a three-day visit to meet with officials of the Caribbean country, officials said. Hashimoto's scheduled meeting with President Fidel Castro still needed to be confirmed, officials said, adding that the prime minister's visit to Havana was unrelated to anti-terrorism efforts, which will constitute his agenda after the visit to Cuba. On Saturday, Hashimoto is set to travel from Havana to Egypt and then to the United Arab Emirates to seek the cooperation of these countries in the fight against terrorism since the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, Japanese officials said. Hashimoto, prime minister from 1996 to 1998, asked for Cuba's help in 1997 in negotiating with Shining Path rebels, who took over the Japanese ambassador's residence in Lima.