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Today's Headlines
- A free trade zone between Egypt and Libya
The higher commercial committee between Egypt and Libya will confer in the middle of June to agree on establishing a free trade zone between the two countries. Egypt, Economics, 5/28/99 - Jordanian efforts for the five-member Arab summit
Syrian President Hafez al-Assad on Thursday received the chairman of the Jordanian royal court, Abdul Karim al-Kabareiti ,following a telephone conversation Jordan's King Abdullah Bin Hussein held with President al-Assad. Regional, Politics, 5/28/99 - Lebanese president to visit Jordan tomorrow
Lebanese President Emile Lahoud will visit Jordan tomorrow at the invitation of Jordan's King Abdullah Bin Hussein. Lebanon, Politics, 5/28/99 - Moroccan premier starts African tour on Saturday
Moroccan Prime Minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi will start on Saturday a seven-day tour of Africa that will take him to Senegal, Guinea, Cote D'Ivoire, Gabon and Burkina Faso. Morocco, Politics, 5/28/99 - Syrian Premier meets with Malaysian trade minister
Syrian Prime Minister Mahmoud al-Zou'bi on Thursday received Malaysian Minister of Trade and Industry Rafidah binti Abdul Aziz and members of her accompanying delegation. Syria, Politics, 5/28/99 - Abdul Meguid to visit France
Arab League Secretary General Esmat Abdul Meguid will head to Paris on May 31 to fulfill an invitation from the French government. Regional, Politics, 5/28/99 - Arab backing to Morocco's bid to host 2006 world football cup examined
Arab states' backing to Morocco's bid to host the 2006 World football cup topped talks held here Thursday between Moroccan Premier, Abderrahmane Youssoufi, and head of Oman's Youth and Culture Supreme Council, Sheikh Mohamed Ben Marhoune Al-Maari, who is currently on a visit to Morocco. Morocco, Sports, 5/28/99 - special: Syrian foreign trade sector
The foreign trade sector was the dynamo of development in Syria over different periods of the 17th and 18th centuries. In the 20th century and shortly after Syria had won independence there was a considerable foreign demand for a variety of Syrian commodities such as agricultural products and raw materials like cotton and wool. Syria, Economics, 5/28/99 - Egypt to host COMESA summit in 2001
Countries belonging to the COMESA group (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) agreed to hold the organization's coming summit in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. The meeting will be held in the year 2001, and Egypt will undertake the chairmanship of the group during this period. Egypt, Economics, 5/28/99 - $700 million to finance mutual Arab trade
The Arab trade program for financing affiliated to the Arab Economic Unity Council decided to present $700 million to finance Arab mutual trade agreements through 96 national agencies in all Arab countries. Regional, Economics, 5/28/99 - Qatar persists on international arbitration over border disputes with Bahrain
Qatar has once again asserted its persistence on resorting to international arbitration in its border disputes with Bahrain. Qatar, Politics, 5/28/99 - Saudi economic delegation to visit Cairo in June
A Saudi economic delegation is due to visit Cairo at the beginning of June, under the chairmanship the undersecretary of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Economy and Finance, Hamd El-Bagey, to attend the meetings of the third free trade zone between the two countries. Egypt, Economics, 5/28/99 - Dubai opens new center for re-exporting tea
The Indian "Tea Council," which takes Dubai as its headquarters, said on Wednesday that the United Arab Emirates UAE has become a new center for reexporting tea. United Arab Emirates, Business, 5/28/99 - African agency established specializing in evaluating economic projects Regional, Economics, 5/28/99
- Morocco calls for new ABD approach in relations with African countries
The African Development Bank (ADB) needs to reconsider its relations with African countries and take into account the development level of each one, said Moroccan Economy and Finance Minister Fathallah Oualalou. Regional, Economics, 5/28/99 - Exports of Egyptian oranges expand to new countries Egypt, Agriculture, 5/28/99
- Oman first quarter oil exports down
Oman's crude oil exports for the first quarter of 1999 were down 1.19% from their level during the same period last year, statictics released by the Omani Ministry of National Economy said. Oman, Economics, 5/28/99 - Siemens wins Kuwaiti mobile network contract
The German Siemens group won an order to establish the second network for mobile phones in Kuwait, which is estimated at 105 million German marks. Kuwait, Business, 5/28/99 - Iraqi opposition asked for, US denied establishment of land banned zone in Iraq
The Iraqi opposition delegation currently visiting the US has called upon the Clinton administration to give more guarantees to protect the "Iraqi civilians" from Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's government, especially in the southern and northern parts of the country. Iraq, Politics, 5/28/99 - UMA secretary general says Maghreban summit to be held in algeria in november
Secretary general of the Arab Maghreb Union, Mohamed Amamou, said the UMA seventh summit will be held in Algeria next November, contradicting an earlier announcement by an Libyan official that his country would host the summit. Maghreb Region, Politics, 5/28/99 - Japan gives loan to Algerian Sonatrach
Algerian official sources said that the Japanese Export and Import Bank, the governmental organization for financing exports, granted the Algerian company Sauna Tarak for oil and gas a loan of $83 million to purchase equipment regarding energy. Algeria, Business, 5/28/99 - Egypt continues to present support on the bilateral level for COMESA countries
Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister for African Affairs Ibrahim Hassan said, "Egypt will go on in presenting technical support on the bilateral level for the COMESA countries besides its contribution as a full member in the group." Egypt, Economics, 5/28/99 - Israeli occupation forces target civilians in Tabnin village
The Israeli occupation forces on Thursday targeted civilians in Tabnin village. The Israeli forces also bombarded several villages adjacent to the occupied part of south Lebanon, while Israeli warplanes were raiding the western Bekaa areas. Lebanon, Military, 5/28/99 - A Kuwaiti loan to Lebanon worth 200 million dollars Lebanon, Economics, 5/28/99
- Morocco allocates 45.4 percent of budget to social sectors
Morocco has allocated 45.4% of its 1999-2000 general budget to social sectors, said Moroccan secretary of state in charge of social welfare, family and children, Mohamed Said Saadi. Morocco, Politics, 5/28/99 - EgyptAir company schedules 135 additional trips this summer
Egypt Airlines Company announced that it would as 135 trips to the Kuwaiti and Riyadh lines during the current summer. Egypt, Economics, 5/28/99 - Jimmy Carter to mediate between Khartoum and Kampala
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter will arrive in Khartoum during June to raise a mediation between Sudan and Uganda and to end a rupture that has lasted five years between the two neighboring countries, which are exchanging accusations of supporting the opposition. Sudan, Politics, 5/28/99 - Seven Egyptian data companies to merge
Seven Egyptian private companies that work in data technology said they are merging in an attempt to win a bigger share of the Egyptian and Arab technology markets. Egypt, Business, 5/28/99 - Moroccan Mohamed Abed El Jabri wins Maghreb culture Prize
Moroccan writer and philosopher, Mohamed Abed El Jabri, has won the 1999 Maghreb culture prize for his outstanding contributions to the Arab and universal cultural heritage. Regional, Culture, 5/28/99
Short Takes
- Ways to enhance the privileged ties binding Morocco and Saudi Arabia topped talks held in Rabat Thursday between the Moroccan and Saudi foreign affairs ministers, Mohamed Benaissa and Prince Saud al-Faisal. Go
- Syrian President Hafez al-Assad on Thursday at the Damascus Presidential Palace received the Jordanian chairman of the Royal court Abdul Karim al-Kabareiti. Al-Kabareiti conveyed to President al-Assad a message from King Abdullah Bin Hussein in which his " majesty the King " briefed President al-Assad on results of his recent tour. Go
- The UN Security Council has unanimously on Thursday approved a resolution that provides for extending presence of the UNDOF in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights for another six months until October 30, 1999. Go
- Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Othman Ismael has asserted that elements of integration and unity between Egypt and Sudan are greatly available between the two countries more than any other two neighboring countries. In an interview with Sawt al-Arab radio aired on Thursday, the Sudanese minister said that Egypt owns the human potential and the expertise while Sudan has the land and the buildings, a situation which allows an integration in the economic area that can be an economic example for integration between the two Arab and African states. Go
- Turkish security forces on Thursday killed six Kurds in confrontations in eastern Turkey. A statement by the Turkish security forces said that the confrontation took place in the Bingol district but did if not specify its date, adding that one Turkish soldier was also killed in the confrontation. Go
- The chairman of the Iraqi delegation to the talks on the issue of the prisoners and missing which was held recently in Iran, Fahmi al-Qeisi, has said that a new shift of Iraqi prisoners will return to Iraq at the beginning of August. In statements to reporters in Baghdad on Thursday, al-Qeisi added that an agreement in this respect was reached with the Iranian side. Go
- A UN spokesman said yesterday that the Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement have reached consensus on humanitarian issues, reaffirming their commitment to protocols reached in 1998 for use of road corridors. Go
- Jordanian Minister of Youth and Sports Mamser Mohammad Kheir is visiting Syria, where he met with the president of Syria's General Sports Federation, Samih Al-Moudallal, to discuss preparations for the ninth Arab Games, due to take place in Jordan in August, SANA reported. Go
- Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak called yesterday on India and Pakistan to stop the use of military force against one another. He called them to use peaceful means to resolve their disputes. Go
- Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Othman Ismael met yesterday in Algiers with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. The Sudanese minister carried a message from Sudanese President Omar El-Bashir to Bouteflika. Algeria News Agency quoted Othman Ismael as saying that Sudan "makes a point of normalising and developing its bilateral relations" with Algeria. Go
- The number of Cypriot investment projects in Egypt has reached nine projects, including five in the chemicals sector, two in the engineering sector, and projects in free zones, at a cost of $91 million with a rate of Cypriot participation of $52 million dollars from January to September 1998. Go