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Short Takes:
The Arab social and economic council, headquartered in Cairo, has decided to postpone its meetings, which are to be held among Arab economic ministers, until Thursday, instead of tomorrow, because the date for these meetings conflicted with the Arab League council's meetings. Arab League Assistant Secretary General for Economic Affairs Abd El-Rahman El-Sahibani told ArabicNews.com that the council, in its meetings, would review the follow-up reports on the executive program for the Arab free trade zone and the activation of bilateral cooperation between the Arab states in the field of economics and investment. Go

The Iraqi foreign minister Muhammad Saeed al-Sahaf arrived in Cairo on Friday to preside over the meeting of the Arab foreign ministers due to start Saturday. In an arrival statement, al-Sahaf said that Iraq will encourage every idea and initiative in order to unify Arab ranks. He added " we have to study the ideas on the ground of positive and sincere participation and the desire to reach balance and a reasonable formula. "We will positively react to any initiative in this regard." Go

Lebanese Prime Minister Salim al-Hoss on Friday in Beirut discussed with a delegation from the defense committee at the Italian Senate relations between the two countries and peace developments in the region. Go

The Moroccan Child's Parliament opens this Saturday its 2nd session under the theme of generalization of schooling and struggle against illiteracy and child's labor. Go

European Parliament will hold next October 21 in Brussels a colloquy on relations and cooperation between Morocco and EU. The encounter will be attended by Moroccan Premier Abderrahmane Youssoufi, Speaker of the House of Representatives Abdelouahed Radi, Royal Advisor for economic and financial affairs Andre Azoulay, Speaker of the European parliament Ms. Nicole Fontaine and head of the European Commission Romano Prodi. Go

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak reiterated yesterday that the Israeli military withdrawal from Lebanon would take place before the passage of a year from the time he took office, meaning before July 7, 2000. Barak also told Israel Radio, on the occasion of celebrations of the Jewish new year, that the Israeli troops are going to withdraw from Lebanon before July 7, 2000 and that the Israeli army will be spread along international borders in light of an accord to be signed. But Barak refused to answer the question on whether this withdrawal would take place if both Syria and Lebanon did not reach an agreement with Israel. Go

It was announced on Friday in Seoul that Kuwaiti Defense Minister Sheikh Salem al-Sabah will visit South Korea on Monday to discuss military cooperation between the two countries in the first talks of their kind between the two countries. Go

Two Moroccan women Tae-kwondo champs, Mounia Bourguigue and Meryem Bidani, qualified for the Olympic games due in Sidney next year. The two Moroccans booked their qualification tickets after making a good performance at the African qualifying heats held lately in Johannesburg, South Africa. Mounia Bourguigue and Meryem Bidani gained last month gold at the Arab games held in Amman, Jordan. Go

The Jordanian authorities on Friday refused to permit the Jordanian engineers to visit al-Jweida prison, south of Amman, where 15 members of the Hamas movement are jailed, after they were arrested recently in Amman. Go

Germany will finance the training of some 25 Palestinian engineers by the Moroccan drinking water office. The one-month training session includes courses on the management, control and maintenance of water networks as well as on computing management, environment protection and safety measures. Go

Russia has asserted its determination to continue urging for lifting the sanctions imposed on Iraq since 1990. This was expressed in the message Iraqi Foreign Minister Muhammad Saeed al-Sahaf received from his Russian counterpart, Igor Ivanov, in which the Russian minister also stressed that Russia will continue work to realize a settlement to the situation concerning Iraq through diplomatic and political means and demanding abrogation of the sanctions. Go

The European Union granted Morocco $ 5.3 million to enable the north African country develop and modernize its telecom sector and enhance its liberalization process. Go

Palestinian President Yasser Arafat said that talk of settling the Palestinian refugees outside their country is a crime, as it is the right of the Palestinians wherever they are to return to their nation and the right of the established Palestinian state to receive its people. Go