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Short Takes:
Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov is arriving today in Cairo on a three-day visit to Egypt during which he will deliver Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Go

Lord Levy, personal emissary of Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair to King Mohammed VI, is expected in Rabat Tuesday on a six day visit to the kingdom. A press-release of UK embassy in Rabat said Levy will deliver a message to the king and discuss with officials bilateral issues such as trade and investments and the situation prevailing in the Middle East. Go

Swiss Foreign Minister Joseph Deiss on Friday evening told the Lebanese daily al-Nahar in a statement issued today denying what was quoted by the AFP of members of the official delegation accompanying him on his visit to Beirut that Switzerland is ready to host a summit meeting between Syrian President Hafez al-Assad and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak under the supervision of US President Bill Clinton. Go

Sadek Bekheet, the informational advisor to Sudanese President Omar El-Bashir, asserted that Egypt has played an important role in improving the Sudanese relations that with Arab states, saying that Egyptian, Arab and the regional role is a leading one. He said the depth of Sudanese - Egyptian relations contributes to keeping the joint interests of the two states and that the decision of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to nominate Mohammed Assem Ibrahim as Egypt's ambassador in Sudan is a step to support the Sudanese - Egyptian relations. Go

Lebanese President Emile Lahoud on Friday stressed Lebanon's opposition to any attempt made by Israel to amend the April Understanding or escape it. Go

Some Palestinian organizations signed a document that is to be published today in newspapers and informational corporations and that was raised to the Arab governments including the Palestinian National Authority, the UN, the European governments and the USA to emphasize that the right of the return is out of discussion. Go

At the conclusion of his visit to Lebanon, Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz commended the steadfastness of the Lebanese people, who are fighting and resisting the Israeli occupation, on the one hand and trying to continue building Lebanon, on the other. Go

Colonel Moammar Gaddafi, leader of the Libyan revolution, said the age of establishing major regional units on the basis of nationalism is finished and is replaced today with an age based on unity of joint interests. In the celebration held yesterday in Syrte city of the 23rd anniversary of the people's authority, he said that Libya's relations with Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Sudan are completely different than its relations with any other Arab state, because these countries share one geographical neighborhood that doubles the cultural and social ties. Go

The Lebanese daily al-Nahar said today, quoting sources in the pro-Israel South Lebanon Army (SLA) militia that the SLA leadership told commanders of the contingents in the sectors of the occupied border of the need to organize lists of the names of senior army and security officers and their families who refuse to stay in the border area or those who fear for their lives after the Israeli withdrawal, in order to submit this list to the French authorities which decided to receive them as political asylum seekers. Go

Yemeni Prime Minister Abdul Karim al-Iryani and Jordanian Prime Minister Abdul Raouf al-Rawabdeh asserted their countries' adherence to Iraq's sovereignty and the safety of its territorial integrity as well as to not interfering in its internal affairs. The two prime ministers expressed their countries' deep anxiety over the continuation of the Iraqi people's suffering due to the economic sanctions imposed. Go

Moroccan Premier Abderrahmane Youssoufi announced on Friday that the education budget will be increased by 5% in the coming years. The increase will help Morocco improve the quality of education in support of the development process in the country, said Youssoufi as the parliament opened an extraordinary session to look into proposals to amend the education system. Presently, education takes 25% of the state general budget. Go

The program of the visit Queen Rania, wife of King Abdullah II of Jordan, to Egypt on March 5 - 6 will include a visit to A.U.C. tomorrow, then head to the Arab council for childhood and development in Cairo to meet with Prince Talal Bin Abdul Aziz, who is currently in Cairo. Go

The US ambassador in Cairo, Daniel Kurtzer, stressed his country's commitment to giving the Middle East peace process a push forward in order to reach a just and comprehensive peace in the region. Go

Qatari Crown Prince Sheikh Jassem bin Hamad al-Thani met in the US with the head of the US Central Command, General Anthony Zinni, Gulf Times reported. Go

UAE Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed al-Nahyan said a UAE priority is security in the Gulf region, Khaleej Times reported. Go

Mauritania and Spain signed yesterday an agreement according to which Spain grants 100 million Spanish pesetas to support projects and fish resources in Mauritania. Go

Delegations of the Sudanese opposition started heading today to Asmara to participate in meetings of the opposition Democratic National Alliance leadership headed by Mohammed El-Merghany, head of the assembly. Go

Oman is holding the fifth Muscat International Book Fair this weekend, Oman Daily Observer reported. Go

The Israeli daily Maariv said that 63% of the Israelis have expressed their conviction that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak will keep his promise in withdrawing from south Lebanon in July. Go

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