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It was decided to begin the activation of the international Palestinian code concerning telephone communications in March. Meanwhile, Palestinian Minister of Communications Imad al-Falouji said that the Palestinian company for communications has already completed its preparations to use the international code in its communications ( the code will be 970 ). Al-Falouji expressed his hope that Israel will not create any problems or place obstacles before the activation of this new code. Go

Lebanese Premier and Foreign Minister Salim Al-Hoss denied on Monday statements made by resigned Israeli defense minister Yitzhak Mordechai on secret negotiations for withdrawal from South Lebanon. Al-Hoss said "Such statements are grossly groundless," asserting that the Lebanese government does not negotiate the implementation of UN resolution 425, especially it stresses Israel's unconditional withdrawal from South Lebanon until the internationally recognized borders. Go

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Monday in Cairo received the delegation from US Jewish organizations led by Jonathan Jacoby, currently visiting country. Present at the meeting were the Egyptian prime minister and foreign minister and the US ambassador in Cairo. Go

South Korean minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Hong Soon-Young, is expected here this Tuesday for talks with Moroccan officials on ways of boosting trade exchanges, investment and technical cooperation. Go

Chinese state minister for development and cooperation is to conclude a six-day visit to Cairo leading an official delegation according to the call of Egyptian Minister of State for International Cooperation Zafer El-Beshri within the framework of enhancing relations between Egypt and China. Go

An official source in Amman on Monday said that the first deputy Premier in Kuwaiti and its Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah will arrive in Amman today (Tuesday) in a first official visit to Jordan since 1990. The Jordanian foreign minister Abdul Illah al-Khatib said that the "great Kuwaiti officials will congratulate King Hussein on his recovery and his return back to Jordan," in conclusion of six months of medical treatment in the US. Al-Sabah will also meet with the Jordanian Prime Minister Fayez Tarawneh. Al-Khatib added that Sheikh al-Sabah is "welcomed in Jordan and that he himself he will shortly" visit Kuwait. Go

The Lebanese singer Fairouz arrived on Monday in Jordan for two performances in the Jordanian capital, Amman, on Thursday and Friday after she had been absent for 16 years from the Jordanian audiences. Go

US Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson will visit Saudi Arabia on February 5-7, where he will discuss bilateral issues including energy policies and cooperation in science and technology. Go

Jordan's Minister of Interior Nayef Qadi said that Jordan is seeking the release of five Jordanian being held by Egypt for security reasons, Jordan Times reported. Go

US Secretary of Commerce William Daley announced yesterday the signing of a $53 million contract between Lebanon's SOLIDERE company and the US-based Radian International construction and engineering company for a Beirut landfill reclamation project at the Normandy site on the Mediterranean shore, expected to last for more than four years. Go

The Israeli Foreign Ministry today dismissed "statements issued by persons in the Palestinian Authority claiming that contacts between Israel and the PA have been halted with the dismissal of Defense Minister Mordechai." A spokesman for the ministry said, "Contacts are being maintained both on the level of the joint committees and on the highest level between Israel and the PA." Go

The foreign affairs ministers council of the European Union cited Monday the possibility of undertaking an initiative to develop the EU's role to improve the humanitarian situation in Iraq, but no decision was made. Go

The deficit in trade between Morocco and Germany worsened during the first 9 months of 1998 to the detriment of the North African country, the Federal Statistics Office of Wiesbaden (south-western Germany) said. The deficit increased from 61.62 mln deutschmarks in 1997 to 117.42 mln in 1998, the Office said. Go

The Moroccan tourism minister Hassan Sebbar announced that Morocco will seek to raise the number of foreign visitors to 4 million annually by the end of the 5-year development plan running from 1999 to 2003. This target requires an additional 30,000 to 40,000 beds, Sebbar said at a meeting destined to prepare the 5-year development plan in the tourism sector. Go

The total of the exchanged annual trade between Gulf Cooperation Council countries has amounted to $6 billion. In the meantime, an economic, study released by British bank of Dubai confirmed that this value is focused on jewelers, cloth, and marine transport, where the trade exchange between the Emirate and Saudi Arabia has occupied the first position with a value of $1.4 billion, adding that the volume of this trade has nothing to do with the trade of petroleum products. Go

Saudi Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and chairman of the National Guard Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz on Monday received a message from Iranian President Mohammad Khatami on the occasion of the l00th anniversary of the foundation of Saudi Arabia. Go

The Saudi daily al-Riyadh said on Monday that a Saudi man, 90, who had married more than 50 times, has recently married a 13 year-old girl. The paper added that the man, who is from the province of Jizan in southern Saudi Arabia, has 50 children, the oldest aged 65 and the youngest aged 12. Go

Chairman of the Israeli Labor Party Ehud Barak will shortly visit Jordan and Egypt to hold talks with King Hussein of Jordan and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. King Hussein on Sunday spoke on the telephone with Barak and thanked Barak for a recent message, Israel Radio reported. Go