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Short Takes:
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak received Finnish Foreign Minister Tarja Halonen, whose country is currently presiding the current rotating presidency of the European Union, in Alexandria. Talks dealt with the Middle East peace process on all tracks and the importance of revitalizing the European role according to the Madrid terms of reference and the land-for-peace formula. Present at the meeting were Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa and the European Union's Middle East peace process coordinator, Miguel Moratinos. Go

Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa met on Monday in Damascus with the secretary general of the Lebanese Foreign Ministry, Zafer al-Hassan. Talks dealt with developments in the region, the Middle East peace process, relations between Syria and Lebanon and the importance of fostering relations and coordination between the two states' foreign ministries. Go

The Algerian newspaper Sawt al-Ahrar quoted "informed sources" as saying that Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani will make an official visit to Algeria starting from August 11. The sources said that this visit will help encourage flow of Qatari capital into Algeria, especially as many Qatari businessmen showed interest in investment in the tourism and hotel sectors which are considered an unused important sector in both the northern and southern parts of Algeria. Go

Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gaddafi met on Sunday in Libya with the foreign ministers of Zimbabwe, Malawi and Senegal and the minister of construction in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A Libyan official source said that talks dealt with the situation in the Great Lakes region, especially in the republic of Congo. Go

Visiting Guinean Minister of Finance and Economy Ibrahima Kassory Fofana had Monday in Rabat talks with several members of the Moroccan cabinet on ways to boost cooperation between the two countries in matters of trade, fisheries, customs, banking and training. Talks also covered the latest developments on the international scene, the evolution of trade exchange, investment, partnership in agriculture, tourism, administrative management and security agents' training. Go

King Mohammed VI had phone talks with Gabonese President El Hadj Omar Bongo. The king thanked the Gabonese head of state for his participation in the funeral of the late King Hassan II and for his compassion for the Moroccan people in these painful circumstances. Go

Former French Prime Minister Michael Rocard has expressed his hope that peace will be achieved in the region very soon. During a meeting on Monday in Beirut with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Rocard expressed his happiness over the peace, security, stability and building up processes achieved in Lebanon, noting that the aim of his current visit to Lebanon is to stress France's friendship with Lebanon. Local and regional developments were reviewed during the meeting. Go

The Jordanian weekly al-Majd said in a report from Damascus that the follow-up committee of the opposition Palestinian National Conference will hold a decisive meeting with the participation of all enrolled or independent members at the beginning of next week in order to take a definite stand from its chairman Khaled al-Fahoum and one of its main cornerstones, the People's Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Go

Israel Minister of Environment Dalia Itzik, who arrived in Gaza on Monday, said she is carrying a message from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to the Palestinian Authority that the Wye River agreement will be implemented in spirit and content if the Palestinians persist in refusing the Israeli proposals on merging the implementation of this agreement and the final status negotiations. In a statement to Israel Radio, the Israeli minister added that the Barak government is eager to revive a spirit of cooperation with the Palestinian Authority. Go

An official source in Amman has reported that the former deputy chief of staff of the Jordanian armed forces, retired Lt. Gen. Tahsin Shardam (50), was appointed as Jordan's ambassador to Israel in succession of Omar al-Refa, who was appointed in that post in 1996 and was recently summoned to Amman. Shardam, who held several posts in the Jordanian army, took part in the Jordanian - Israeli negotiations which resulted in signing the peace agreement between the two countries in October 1994. Go

The secretary general of the world Islamic people's command, Muhammad Ahmad al-Sharif, met on Sunday night in Tripoli with both the chairman of the Sudanese opposition Democratic National Unionist Party, Muhammd Othman al-Meirghani, who is also the chairman of the Sudanese Democratic National Alliance, and chairman of the Sudanese opposition Ummah Party, al-Sadeq al-Mahdi. Go

King Abdullah II of Jordan visited the Public Security Department yesterday, praising their work and calling for the department to protect the safety of participants in this month's 9th Arab Sports Tournament, which will take place in Amman, Petra reported. Go