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Arab League Assistant Secretary General Ahmed Bin Hali said the summit between Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and US President Bill Clinton is for the good of peace in the area, and the Arab league hails the positive signs from this important meeting. He added that Arab efforts are currently focusing on confronting the Israeli obstinacy in carrying out its international commitments, telling ArabicNews.com that there is an Arab League follow-up committee that is currently preparing an alternative plan if the Israeli obstinacy continues in confronting the international community. Go

Foreign Minister Amr Moussa met American Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on issues of common interest including the Middle East peace process and developments of Syrian track in the light of the Clinton-Assad talks in Geneva. Moussa discussed with US Assistant State Secretary of State for prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation in the Middle East, Robert Ianhorn means of eliminating weapons of mass destruction in the region. Go

Syria refused what was said by US President Bill Clinton that Syrian President Hafez al-Assad should raise new ideas for the peace process with Israel after refusing the Israeli proposals. A Syrian information official said Damascus is waiting for Washington to play its role as a main sponsor for the peace process in Middle East and to stop its alliance with Israel, which rebelled against resolutions of international legitimacy. Go

King Mohammed VI got a message Tuesday from Yemeni President Ali Abdallah Salah. The message was conveyed by Yemeni Labor and Vocational Training Minister Mohamed Tayeb. Go

A round of talks on demarcation of maritime borders between Yemen and Saudi Arabia was concluded yesterday, the Yemeni news agency, Saba, reported. The two sides, chaired by Yemeni advisor Housein Ali Alhubaishi and Saudi ambassador Mohammed Bin Ali Madani, released a statement saying, "The meetings were held in a brotherhood spirit and a common understanding to serve the interest of the people of the two countries in accordance with the two political leaderships' instructions," Saba reported Go

The Egyptian government decided to establish an international zoo for rare birds in Arish city in North Sinai in cooperation with the Mediterranean Sea center for the development program and Shamal Sinai governorate. Ahmed Abd El-Gaid, governor of Shamal Siani, told ArabicNews.com that the project includes raising rare birds, artificial lakes and a fair for embalming of the rare types of birds. Go

Peter Hain, the British minister of state for Middle Eastern affairs, is due to arrive in Cairo on a three-day visit on Saturday, heading a diplomatic delegation coming from Jordan, and he will meet with Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa. Go

Sources in the Egyptian Foreign Ministry stated that British Prime Minister Tony Blair sent a message of apology yesterday for not attending the African - European summit that will be held on April 3rd and 4th. British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook will head his country's delegation, adding that at the same time the Egyptian Foreign Ministry received confirmations from French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder that they will attend this summit, heading their countries' delegations, in addition to confirmations from 35 heads of African states who will be attending this summit. Go

A Libyan source stated that a Belgian political and economic delegation headed by Robair Orban, Belgium minister of state, is due to visit Libya on Saturday to discuss cooperation and commercial exchange between the two countries. Go

An expanded meeting was held yesterday in the headquarters of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry in Cairo in the attendance of ministers from the African and European states with the Egyptian work group concerned with preparing the African - European summit that is due to be held on April 3rd and 4th in Cairo. During the expanded meeting, the ministers discussed the final procedures for convening this summit, topped by arrangements for the arrival and residency of heads state and the participating delegations in the works of this summit. Go

Tun Myat of Myanmar was appointed by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan as the UN's humanitarian coordinator in Iraq. Myat replaces Hans Von Sponeck of Germany whose resignation is effective on March 31. Von Sponeck was critical of the humanitarian impact of economic sanctions on Iraq, as was his predecessor, Dennis Halliday. Go

The emir of Bahrain, Sheikh Hamad Bin Issa al-Khaleifa, received Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi and members of his accompanying delegation on Wednesday in Manama. Go

Algeria's Cabinet met yesterday and discussed points that included "sector-based priorities"-- especially in the area of water resources-- the "relaunch of the project of the new international airport of Algiers," and the "project of presidential decree bearing on the ratification of OAU convention on the prevention and struggle against terrorism, adopted by the 35th ordinary session of the conference of OAU heads of state and government held in Algiers from July 12 to 14, 1999," Algerian News Agency reported. Go

IBM computer company signed three cooperation protocols with the Egyptian government according to which it will invest 150 million LE in Egypt, and it will be specified for training on computers for graduates of Egyptian universities and institutes, supporting the educational process in the Egyptian universities in data technology and training on design operations and production through the computers in the Egyptian Ministry of Industry and its affiliated organizations. Go

Oman's Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) and Germany's AACHEN University of Technology (RWTH) yesterday signed an agreement on academic exchange and scientific cooperation, Oman News Agency reported. Go

Kuwait will hold a cultural week in Oman, including theater, music, and photography, starting on Saturday, Gulf News Agency reported. Go

A cow gave birth to a two-headed calf in the Ouled Cheikh Community, in the Larache province, on the northern Atlantic, reports the Arabic "Al Mounaataf" daily. The daily said a veterinarian had to resort to a caesarian operation to help the cow and calf stay alive. Go

Bahrain's crown prince and commander general of the Bahrain defense force met on Wednesday in Singapore with the chairman of the executive authority in Pakistan, Pervaiz Musharraf. Go

Jordanian King Abdullah II on Wednesday in Amman received the UK's minister of state for Middle East affairs at the British foreign office, Peter Hain, and discussed with him current conditions in the region, bilateral relations between Jordan and Britain and areas of joint cooperation. Go