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Short Takes:
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer on Wednesday will start a tour of the Middle East covering Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan and Israel. Spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry said the aim of Fischer's tour is to hold talks to come up with a true picture about the current situation in the region and evaluating means of resetting the peace talks into its track. Go

Tourism, trade and industry minister for the Canadian province of Manitoba, James Downey, confirmed that the volume of Canadian exports to Egypt amounts to $320 million annually, while the volume of Canadian imports from Egypt amounts to $80 million, at the top of which come petroleum products. Go

108 persons were killed and another 50 injured in tribal clashes in western Sudan. Sudanese official sources said yesterday that the center of violence between Arab and African Sudanese was in Genina city near the Sudanese border with Chad, adding that more than 50 villages were destroyed and more than 1,600 families were left homeless. Go

Ways to enhance Moroccan-French cooperation, especially in interior-related affairs, topped talks held here over the weekend between Moroccan Interior Minister, Driss Basri, and French peer Jean-Pierre Chevenement. Go

The national bank of Egypt is studying establishing the first permanent trade center for Egyptian products in Congo, to be named "House of Egypt," to benefit from the commercial agreements signed between Egypt and some African countries, to benefit from membership in the COMESA organization. Mahmud Abd El-Aziz, head of the work's board of directors, told ArabicNews.com today that this center will be established in association with Egyptian businessmen who are specialists in dealing with the African market in general and the Congo in particular. Go

Oman and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding yesterday to enhance cooperation in the electricity and water sectors, Oman Daily Observer reported. Go

The United Arab Emirates' National Bank of Dubai (NBD) and the Emirates Bank International (EBI)are near an agreement on a merger after two years of talks, Khaleej Times reported. Go

Regional economists said they expect the Arab Gulf states to help support Jordan's economy, despite their own economic challenges posed by low oil prices, Jordan Times reported. Go

The budget for next year should be calculated assuming a price of $10 per barrel for oil, the Oil Ministry advised, with the Qatari minister of energy, industry, electricity and water adding that his ministry recommended this "conservative" price despite a belief that prices will be higher by then, Gulf Times reported. Go

Israeli Minister of Trade and Supply Natan Sharansky told Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo that the European Union connecting politics with economic relations would damage both Palestinian - Israeli cooperation and Israeli - EU economic relations, the ministry's spokeswoman said. Go

The conference of west Mediterranean education ministers opened Monday in Naples, southern Italy. Go

Morocco will play host next March 11-13 to the 1st international industrial maintenance show to gather about 150 exhibitors from Morocco and abroad. The fair, which will be held under the theme "Stakes of Maintenance in the Production System," will serve as a platform for the exchange of expertise between Moroccan and foreign professionals of maintenance. Go

A Moroccan court has sentenced lately two Moroccan Gendarmes (county-policemen) to one year in jail for corruption and involvement in smuggling activities. Go

Syrian President Hafez al-Assad has issued decree no. 3 of 1999, which provides for the formation of a committee whose task is to restore the Grand Ummayad Mosque in Aleppo with the adherence to the known principles of repairing historical sites by using Arab and local expertise. The committee is to be chaired by the governor of Aleppo, Muhammad Mustafa Miro. Go

King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia has urged the international community to exert more efforts in order to give the Middle East peace process a push forward, asserting that Israel stands as a bulwark against every positive stride towards this end. Go

US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright stressed on Monday in Washington the need for the continuation of the Middle East peace process. In an interview with NBC, Albright said that the US administration exerts its utmost efforts to achieve progress in the deadlocked Middle East peace process. Go

Ruler of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khaleifa al-Thani met on Monday in Doha with British Defense Minister George Robertson. Go