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Short Takes:
The Saudi Cabinet decided in its session yesterday headed by King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz decided to assign Prince Nayef Bin Abdul Aziz, minister of the interior, to hold talks with Iran to reach an agreement for security cooperation between the two countries. Saudi Information Minister Foad Abd El-Salam El-Faresi said the Cabinet assigned Prince Nayef to hold these talks with Iran and to sign an agreement then raise the results to the Cabinet to resume the systematic procedures. Go

Egyptian exports increased by $278 million (950 million LE) during the second quarter of the current fiscal year. Statistics issued by the Egyptian central bank assured that the value of the exports reached $1.597 billion during the second quarter in comparison to $1.305 billion during the first quarter of this year. They showed that the USA occupied the first position on the list of the countries importing from Egypt, followed by the European Union. Go

The percentage of Tunisian exports to the African countries increased by 18.6% during 1999 as Tunis exported 484.73 Tunisian dinars in comparison to 409.161 million dinars in 1998-- an increase of 75.51 million dinars. Statistics issued by the Tunisian National Institute for Statistics said that Libya filled the first position on the list of importing countries with 286.505 million dinars, 59.1% of the total value of Tunisian exports to Africa, followed by Algeria, Morocco and Egypt. Go

The Sudanese organization for human rights reported violations of human rights in Sudan that included persecution and harassment during the last year, and detention of the political opposition the under items of the criminal law of 1991, the press and printing law and the public security law as some of them were presented to the courts. Go

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak assured on the necessity that lands of the intended Palestinian state must have no Israeli barriers (ie must be contiguous), adding in an interview with Israeli television that was shown last night that he does not want the Palestinian entity to exist in the form of a state to be under expanded self-rule or protection, and that he supports a complete separation between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, saying that the Arab villages located on Jerusalem's borders could be a part of the Palestinian entity, but he renewed his refusal to present any concessions concerning East Jerusalem, which Israel occupied in the war of 1967. Go

Lebanese security sources said today that the Israeli bombardment against Majdal Zoune town in South Lebanon resulted in killing a Syrian worker while his brother was wounded. Go

Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs Habib Ben Yahia is paying a two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates, during which he is to head his country's delegation to the joint UAE- Tunisian committee and to discuss bilateral cooperation between the two states, especially investment in the field of tourism. Go

The board of directors of the Kuwaiti Fund for Economic Development agreed to present loans of $20 million to help finance railways stations, yet the statement issued by the fund's management did not mention any details like the period of payment or form of the loan. Go

Sheikh Abdullah al-Ahmar, head of the Yemeni deputies council, denied any agreement with the USA concerning his country's consent to allow Israelis to visit it, assuring the complete Yemeni opposition to any normalization step with Israel. He depicted the Israeli tourists' visits to his country recently as suspicious, even if they were under cover of the tourists being of Yemeni origin. Go

Riyak Mashar, head of the Sudanese Public Democratic Front and former Sudanese vice president, expressed his support for the Egyptian initiative concerning ending the armed conflict in Sudan. Go

Moroccan tennisman Karim Alami qualified Tuesday for the second round of Monte Carlo's international tennis tournament, ousting Sweden's Thomas Johansson (6-2, 6-4). Go

World Bank chairman James Wolfensohn will undertake a visit to Morocco end of this month, members of the Moroccan delegation to the spring IFIS meetings disclosed. Go

Jordanian Minister of Education Izzat Jaradat yesterday began a visit to Yemen, during which he will meet with Yemeni Education Ministry officials to discuss cooperation in education and bilateral relations, the Yemeni news agency, Saba, reported. Go

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan yesterday issued a statement saying that he had received a letter from the Israeli UN representative dated April 16 and formally notifying Annan of its decision to withdraw from Lebanon by July "in full accordance with Security Council resolutions 425 and 426 (1978)" and in cooperation with the UN. Go

The Algerian Sonatrach oil company and the US Amerada Hess signed two contracts for sharing output, calling for $550 million in investments from Amerada Hess including $55 million import duty to increase crude oil recovery and reserves over 25 years and for $28.5 million for hydrocarbon research and exploitation over five years, Algerian News Agency reported. Go

Kuwaiti Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Suleiman Majid al-Shahin has stated that Kuwait is committed to providing political and financial backing to Lebanon in support of its struggle to implement UN Security Council resolution 425 and achieve Israel's complete withdrawal from south Lebanon. Go

Economic talks between Algeria and the Czech Republic started in Algiers on Monday between Algerian Minister of Industry and Restructuring Abdelmajid Menasra and Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Miroslav Gregr who arrived in Algiers on Sunday in a visit which will last for three days. Go

Jordanian King Abdullah II postponed a visit he was due to hold to Gaza yesterday to meet with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. Israeli Radio stated that King Abdullah will visit Gaza after Arafat's return from Washington. Go

Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien will hold an official visit to Saudi Arabia starting today which will last for two days in the framework of his current tour of the Middle East. Go

Indonesia's foreign minister, Alwi Abdurrahman Shihab, who arrive on Monday in Kuwait, will hold talks with high ranking Kuwaiti officials on bilateral relations and means of strengthening and developing them. Go

It was announced in Amman on Monday that Jordan's King Abdullah II will visit Israel on April 23 in his first visit to Israel. Monte Carlo radio's correspondent in Amman said that King Abdullah will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and with several Israeli officials in order to discuss with them the developments of the peace process in the region. Go