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Short Takes:
Ahmed Fadel, head of the Suez Canal organization in Egypt, emphasized the importance of the harbor in the Shark El-Tafria area as being among the 12 biggest harbors in the world, adduring that choosing this location came to serve the whole Middle East area. He said it is expected that the new industrial area that will be created near the harbor will include nearly 250,000 workers and that the area will be linked to the establishment of a tunnel beneath the Suez during the coming month, as well as linking the upper bridge at the Suez Canal with the international road to Morocco to serve investments and facilitate trade movement. Go

Egyptian Tourism Minister Mamdouh El-Beltagi said the work plan for the private and public tourism sector in Egypt aims in the current and coming stage at expanding air capacity for transporting tourists in Egypt and making haste current projects that will increase hotel capacity in tourist areas. He added that the plan includes developing internal and international airports and resuming development of services according to the international measures to maintain health and the environment. Go

Edmund Kain, the general coordinator of the UN's agencies, depicted the conference on investment opportunities in southern Egypt which is to conclude tomorrow in Cairo under the chairmanship of Minister of Construction, Housing, and New Urban Communities Mohamed Ibrahim Soliman as being the outcome of existing cooperation between the Ministry of Housing and the UN Development Program, which urged in 1990 the achievement of humanitarian development. Go

The special envoy for the Russian president, Vasilly Seridin, will arrive in Beirut today in the course of his tour of the region. Serdein will hold talks with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud and Lebanese Premier and Foreign Minister Salim al-Hoss on the efforts made to make progress in Middle East peace. Go

Iranian President Mohammed Khatami stated that expanding rapport and developing comprehensive cooperation in many economic, political and cultural fields among the Islamic stated to meet the wide scope of challenges facing the Arab states has become inevitable. Khatami said in a message he sent to Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika that in order to enhance the financial basis of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Iran raised the issue of establishing economic companies in participation with the countries that are members in the Islamic Development Bank. Go

Minister in charge of relations with parliament Mohamed Bouzoubaa, standing for the government spokesman, said Thursday local authorities were questioning people in an inquiry to pinpoint responsibility in the collapse early Wednesday of a building in Fez that killed 31 people. Sanctions will be immediately taken, said Bouzoubaa, recalling how the building did not meet safety norms and was to be vacated in 1998 under a city council decision relating to several illegal and anarchic houses and buildings in the area. Go

Some members of the team who shot the Oscar-winning "Titanic" are expected in Tunisia at the weekend for the underwater shots of the full length film "No man's love" by Tunisian producer Nidhal Chatta. Go

Morocco is ready for the year 2000 bug, said minister in charge of posts and information technologies Larbi Ajjoul in the government council held Thursday. Go

Japan will contribute $ 3.7 million to finance a water supply project in the pre-Rif region in northern Morocco. The project will benefit some 15,000 persons living in 37 villages in the Sidi Kacem province. In 1999, Japan extend funds worth $77 million to four water supply projects in Morocco. Go

The overall traffic in Moroccan ports reached from January to October 1999 some 43.7 million tons, recording an increase of 8.6% compared to the same period the previous year. Go

The volume of water stored in Moroccan dams' reservoirs reached by November 1999 some 6.5 million cubic meters, i.e. a global filling rate of 46.7%. This rate was of 59.3% at the same date last year, said the latest newsletter of the equipment department. Go

Morocco and Japan are to organize a training course on road and equipment maintenance for trainees from several African countries. The course to take place January 31 through February 26 is the first event to be held part of a five-year Moroccan-Japanese program. Go