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Today's Headlines
- Indyk: Egypt strategic partner for US
US Undersecretary of State for Near East Affairs Martin Indyk said yesterday that Egypt is the United States' "strategic partner in the Middle East." Indyk added that US President Bill Clinton, who will meet with visiting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak tomorrow, "wants to consult with President Mubarak on how we can -- together -- help to push the peace process forward on all fronts, with the objective of achieving a comprehensive peace." Egypt, Politics, 6/30/99 - AL efforts to settle disputes between UAE and Iran
The general secretariat of the Arab League has expressed its readiness to exert peaceful efforts to settle the disputes over the islands under dispute between the United Arab Emirates and Iran. United Arab Emirates, Politics, 6/30/99 - OAU's juridical advisor: Pan-African organization's charter does not provide for admission of non-sovereign entities
The charter of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) "does not include any provision on the admission of an entity that still aspires to sovereignty and independence in the frame of a referendum or that has not acceded yet to the status of an African independent and sovereign state," asserted the juridical advisor to the OAU. Morocco, Politics, 6/30/99 - Sahara historically established as Moroccan territory, Libyan senior official
A senior Libyan official on Tuesday said his country backed Morocco's territorial integrity and affirmed that the Sahara is historically established as a Moroccan territory. Libya, Politics, 6/30/99 - Jordan ready to play a role between Syria and Israel
The speaker of the Jordanian Parliament, Abdul Hadi al-Majali, has announced Jordan's readiness to carry out a positive role between Syria and Israel. Jordan, Politics, 6/30/99 - Arafat urges Barak to commit to peace agreements
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat urged Israeli Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak to commit to the agreements ratified between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, topped by Wye River accord and the Oslo agreements, and carrying out the third stage of troop withdrawal from West Bank areas which was agreed upon. Palestine, Politics, 6/30/99 - Arafat confers with al-Rawabdeh
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat on Tuesday in Amman discussed with Jordanian Prime Minister Abdul Raouf al-Rawbdeh current developments in the region, means of reviving the Middle East peace process on all tracks, especially on the Palestinian track, and the implementation of signed agreements so as to reach the final status negotiations. Jordan, Politics, 6/30/99 - Health talks between Libya, Chad
The secretary of the Libyan people's committee for health and social insurance (minister of health), Hetowish Faraj Hetowish, met on Monday night in Tripoli with Chad's health minister, currently visiting Libya. Libya, Health, 6/30/99 - Israel detains four youths in the Golan
Israel's arrest of four youths in the occupied Golan has triggered a strong condemnation in the Golan in which some 16,000 Syrian citizens are living. Syria, Politics, 6/30/99 - Syrian Jews return to Damascus
The French Magazine Marian Ann has said that Syria permitted its Jews in 1994 to leave the country. More than 3,000 Syrian Jews left for the US, but many of them returned to Syria. Syria, Culture, 6/30/99 - Egyptian plan to cope with Y2K problem
General Ihab Mostafa Olwi, head of the Egyptian central body for mobilization and statistics, said the Egyptian government made a plan to cope with the computer problem in the year 2000, known as the Y2K problem. Egypt, Economics, 6/30/99 - Tunisian minister calls Morocco and Tunisia to promote new partnership
Morocco and Tunisia should promote a new partnership to be able to face international competitiveness, said visiting Tunisian Minister of Industry Moncef Benabdallah. Morocco, Economics, 6/30/99 - Omani pilgrims protest treatment received in Saudi Arabia
An official in the Omani police on Tuesday in Muscat expressed his regret over the bad treatment the Omani pilgrims received by the Saudi customs men upon passing through border crossings between the two countries. He stressed that Muscat "cannot keep silent over this matter." Oman, Politics, 6/30/99 - Bouteflika to raise civil reconciliation draft for referendum next month
Algerian official sources said that the Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika will organize a referendum on the civil reconciliation draft with the Islamic conservatives in coming month. Algeria, Politics, 6/30/99 - Pakistani minister in Cairo: Egypt can play a role in conflict with India
Pakistani Majid Minister of Kashmir, the Northern Areas, State, and Frontier Regions welcomed any country's mediation, especially Egypt's, to solve the dispute between his country and India regarding the Kashmir region. Egypt, Politics, 6/30/99 - APU final statement calls for Middle East peace
The final statement of the council of the Arab Parliamentary Union, which concluded its deliberations in Damascus on Tuesday, called for the United Nations and the international community, especially the cosponsors of the Middle East peace process and the European Union, to intensify their efforts for the realization of a just and comprehensive peace. Regional, Politics, 6/30/99 - Arab parliamentarians meet on common market
In the course of the current session of the Arab Parliamentary Union, held in Damascus, the parliamentary commission for the Arab common market held its first meeting on Tuesday, led by the chairman of the Arab Parliamentary Union, Fathi Sorour, who is also the speaker of the Egyptian Parliament. Regional, Economics, 6/30/99 - Bahraini - Egyptian joint committee to start tomorrow
The Bahraini - Egyptian joint committee is to start its third session on the level of experts in the Bahraini capital tomorrow. The meetings will last for four days. Bahrain, Economics, 6/30/99 - Arab lawmakers call Spain to withdraw from two Moroccan towns
The Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union called Tuesday on Spain to "withdraw from the Moroccan occupied towns of Sebta and Melilia." Regional, Politics, 6/30/99 - Syrian-Lebanese information talks conclude in Damascus
Media talks started on Monday between the delegations of the Syrian Information Ministry chaired by Syrian Information Minister Muhammad Salman and the Lebanese Information Ministry led by Information Minister Anwar al-Khalil. Syria, Economics, 6/30/99 - Weizman asserts importance of resuming peace process
Israeli President Ezer Weizman said that courageous leaders are the only ones who can lead the peace process, such as the late Egyptian President Anwar El-Sadat when he signed peace agreement with Israel. Palestine, Politics, 6/30/99 - Moroccan-Hungarian talks on economic cooperation
Hungarian Agriculture Minister Josef Torgyan met in Rabat Tuesday on the last day of his visit to Morocco with Andre Azoulay, economic and financial advisor to King Hassan II. Morocco, Economics, 6/30/99 - Ummah Party criticizes Turabi's refusal to form coalition government
The opposing Sudanese Ummah party criticized the statement made Hassan Turabi, the secretary general of the Sudan's ruling National Conference Party, in which he excluded the establishment of a coalition government that includes the opposition. Sudan, Politics, 6/30/99 - July African summit meeting in Algeria to discuss conflicts
The African Organization of African Unity summit will be convene in Algeria on July 12 - 14, to be preceded by a conference of OAU foreign ministers from July 8 - 10. Regional, Politics, 6/30/99 - Israel destroys construction site of mosque in Jerusalem
Israeli authorities in the city of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) have ordered the destruction of a construction site of a mosque in the Arab quarter of Ras Al-Amoud in the eastern part of the city. Palestine, Politics, 6/30/99 - PKK warns against Ocalan's hanging
The Kurdistani National Liberation Front, the political wing of the Kurdistani Workers Party (PKK), on Tuesday in Vienna warned that that sentence given to hang the PKK's leader, Abdullah Ocalan, would escalate conflict in Turkey and in the Middle East. Turkey, Politics, 6/30/99 - A fair for Egyptian products in Eritrea
The first fair for the Egyptian products in Asmara, capital of Eritrea, is to be opened on July 15 for one week in the Egyptian plan to activate Egyptian exports to African markets, especially the COMESA countries. Egypt, Economics, 6/30/99 - Morocco elected vice-president of world sciences conference
Morocco was elected vice-president of the world sciences conference, currently being held in Budapest, Hungary. Morocco, Science, 6/30/99
Short Takes
- Moroccan surgeons at the Ibn Sina Hospital of Rabat succeeded recently a lung reimplantation, a first in the North African country. Surgeon Abdellatif Benosman and his team reimplanted the right lung of a patient whose major bronchus broke following a trauma caused by a road accident. Go
- King Hassan II received Tuesday at the royal palace of Skhirat (40 km south of Rabat) Prince Khaled Al-Faysal Ibn Abdelaziz, governor of the Saudi region of Al-Assir. The Saudi prince, 59, is a poet and painter. During his visit to Morocco, the Saudi prince also met with Cultural Affairs Minister Mohamed Achaari. Go
- Jordanian Minister of Post and Telecommunications Jamal al-Sarayirah said that Jordan will ask clarifications from Israel regarding the Israeli decision to freeze the opening of a joint airport between the two countries. Go
- Bahrain's crown prince and the commander general of the Bahrain defense force, Sheikh Salman Bin Hamad Bin Issa al-Khaleifa, arrived in Jeddah on Tuesday for an official visit to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Crown Prince, Deputy Premier and chairman of the national guard Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz received Sheikh Salman at Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah. Go
- United Arab Emirates Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed al-Nahyan stated his country's support for the international efforts exerted to establish a just and comprehensive peace in Kosovo. Go
- The French delegation whose country presides over the current rotating presidency of the April Understanding Monitoring Committee in south Lebanon announced that the Israeli delegation taking part in the committee said it had suspended its participation in the meetings of the committee until the formation of the new Israeli government led by Ehud Barak. The April Understanding Monitoring Committee was due to held a meeting on Tuesday in order to discuss some 21 Israeli complaints and 14 Lebanese complaints on violating the understanding. Go
- On Israel's bombardment of positions in Lebanon which targeted the Lebanese infrastructure, US Undersecretary of State for Near East Affairs Martin Indyk expressed his regret over the casualties among civilians between the two sides. He added that what had happened was a "deliberate attempt by the side of the Hizbullah party to reinterpret the April Understanding. The Hizbullah party fired Katyushas, and this resulted in the Israeli reaction of bombarding Lebanon." Indyk stressed that Israeli Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak knew about the air strikes against Lebanon only after the operation was carried out. Go
- Saudi Minister of Industry and Electricity Hashem met Yamani yesterday in Riyadh with the Portuguese minister of international trade and members of the accompanying delegation, currently visiting Saudi Arabia. The two sides discussed joint cooperation in the areas of industry and electricity and means of strengthening them, as well as ways of encouraging businessmen from the two sides to enter into joint venture projects. They also discussed cooperation in the field of small and medium industries. Go
- The 12th conference on Islamic unity continued its deliberations in Tehran on Tuesday. Several participants delivered speeches during Tuesday's session in which they underlined the importance of unity between Muslims and strengthening solidarity among the Islamic states in order to withstand the challenges the Islamic world faces as well as to deal with Islamic issues in various parts of the world. Go
- The criminal court in the Algerian Tizi Ouzou province on Tuesday sentenced to death two members of the Armed Islamic Group over acts of deliberate killing, destruction and attempts to topple the government. Go
- Cooperation between Morocco and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) was discussed in Rome earlier this week by Moroccan Minister of Equipment Bouamor Taghouan and FAO executives. Go