Sunday, December 6, 1998; 9:53 p.m. EST

HAVANA (AP) -- Sen. Christopher Dodd called Sunday for new talks with Cuba, saying Washington's four-decade policy of isolating the communist nation hasn't worked.

``We've been told over and over again that if we just hold on a bit longer this policy of absolute no contact, absolute no conversation, absolute no interchange at all will work,'' Dodd told reporters in Havana.

``Well it hasn't. In fact as I look around, the condition of the Cuban people is not good.''

Dodd, a Democrat from Connecticut, said he spoke with Cuban President Fidel Castro for six hours Friday night focusing mainly on international terrorism and drug trafficking, as well as U.S. efforts to help the victims of Hurricane Mitch in Central America.

A member of the U.S. Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, Dodd proposed five steps that could improve relations between the two countries:

-- Ending the ban on the sale of food and medicine to Cuba.

-- Lifting travel restrictions and increasing direct flights.

-- Permitting greater contact between U.S. and Cuban diplomats at all levels.

-- Exploring opportunities to cooperate on environmental protection and efforts to fight drug trafficking and terrorism.

-- Establishment of a commission on exploring U.S.-Cuban relations, as has been suggested by Republican U.S. Sen. John Warner.

Dodd, who was also meeting with top Cuban officials, expects to end his visit on Tuesday.