By Kathia Martinez
Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, July 14, 1999; 9:06 p.m. EDT

PANAMA CITY, Panama (AP) -- The U.S. Coast Guard was justified in trying to stop Cubans from reaching the coast of Florida last month because it was carrying out the two nations' migration agreement, Cuba's foreign minister said Wednesday.

However, Felipe Perez Roque said, such incidents ``should be avoided.''

The Coast Guard's efforts to stop six Cuban refugees from reaching land June 29 provoked allegations of brutality and insensitivity.

Television reports showed the Coast Guard blasting the men with a water hose as they stood in their rowboat 150 yards from shore. The agency then swarmed around them as they jumped overboard. Two of the six managed to reach land, making them eligible to remain in the United States.

Under U.S. policy, Cubans who are found at sea -- even a few yards offshore -- are usually returned immediately to Cuba. But after large protests by the Cuban community, all six men were freed from custody and allowed to remain in the United States.

Perez, who began an official visit to Panama on Wednesday, said under a 1994 accord, the United States issues at least 20,000 visas a year to Cubans and agrees to deport illegal immigrants.

He blamed ``sectors of the Cuban mafia'' in the United States with inciting aggressive resistance to the Coast Guard and encouraging illegal migration.

``The incitement must cease because these sectors not only aspire to promote illegal migrations but also to commit terrorist acts against tourist installations in Cuba,'' he said. ``They incite with the objective of heating up relations between the two countries.''

Cuba has accused Cuban exiles in the United States of organizing bombings of tourist sites on the communist island in order to hurt tourism income. Cuban-American groups deny the claims.