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Mubarak Meets Chinese FM Over Mideast Situation, Bilateral Ties. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan at Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh Thursday morning. Mubarak Meets Chinese FM Over Mideast Situation, Bilateral Ties Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan at Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh Thursday morning. The meeting, held at Tower Hotel in the touristic city, was attended by Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher and Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liu Xiaoming. During the meeting, Mubarak and the Chinese minister discussed the deteriorating situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, the situation in Afghanistan <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/afghanistan.html> , International anti- terrorism efforts and bilateral relations between Egypt and China. Tang conveyed Chinese President Jiang Zemin's greetings to the Egyptian leader, while Mubarak asked him to convey his greetings to his Chinese counterpart. The Chinese foreign minister also briefed Mubarak on arrangements for his visit to China next January, pointing to great efforts jointly exerted by the two sides to guarantee the success of the visit. Tang expressed satisfaction with the development of Egypt-China relations and voiced his country's willingness to reinforce friendly cooperative ties with Egypt in various areas, noting that Egypt was the first Arab and African country to establish diplomatic ties with China. China's position on supporting just Arab issues is unchangeable, Tang said, adding that China urges the parties concerned to resume peace negotiations as early as possible on the basis of the U.N. resolutions 242 and 338, the land-for-peace principle as well as what has been reached on the Palestinian, Syria <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/Syria.html> n and Lebanese peace tracks. For his part, Mubarak welcomed Tang's visit to the Middle East, especially Egypt, and highly commended China's stance on supporting just Arab issues. Mubarak also expressed hope that China will continue its positive role deemed by Arab nations as useful and necessary for achieving just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East region. Commenting on the issue of terrorism, the Egyptian leader said Egypt has long suffered from terrorism, emphasizing that the causes of growing international terrorism should be addressed. Tang arrived here Tuesday evening on a visit to Egypt and met his Egyptian counterpart Maher and Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa on Wednesday. Egypt is the fourth leg of Tang's regional tour, which has taken him to Lebanon, Syria and Jordan . Proposal for Anti-terrorism Convention Welcomed Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said in Beijing on Thursday that China supports Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's proposal to convene an international meeting on combating terrorism. Zhang said at a regular press conference, China understands and attaches great importance to the concerns of the Arab countries and their position on the international terrorism issue now that they are also victims. China noted that Mubarak first called for an international anti-terrorism convention in 1986, and it appreciates the positive role Egypt has played in this matter, Zhang said. China is willing to strengthen consultation and coordination on anti-terrorism with all Arab and Islamic nations, including Egypt, Zhang added. **** China, Vietnam Unveil First New Boundary Tablet. China and Vietnam held ceremonies Thursday morning in Dongxing in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Mong Cai in Vietnam for the unveiling of their first new boundary tablet. Inaugurate the establishment of new boundary tablets China and Vietnam held ceremonies Thursday morning in Dongxing in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Mong Cai in Vietnam for the unveiling of their first new boundary tablet. The erection of the boundary tablet, another important step in solving the land boundary issue between the two countries, marks the formal implementation of the Land Boundary Treaty signed between the two sides two years ago and the inauguration of the establishment of new boundary tablets. The borders--a bridge for friendship and cooperation Wang Yi, vice-foreign minister and head of the Chinese government delegation for border negotiations, attended the ceremony in Dongxing and spoke highly of the positive development of Sino-Vietnamese relations over the past few years. He said that China and Vietnam are connected by mountains and waters, and their borders should become a bridge for friendship and cooperation. The treaty has legalized the common aspiration of the two peoples for harmonious co-existence and common development, and laid a firm foundation for security, prosperity and stability along border areas of the two countries, noted Wang. The erection of the boundary tablet indicates that the two sides are, through their joint efforts, ready to turn their border into a link for peace, cooperation and development, added Wang. Wang also said that the work of demarcation and setting up bounary tablets is expected to finish within three years. FM Spokeswoman on Sino-Vietnamese Land Boundary Demarcation The land boundary demarcation between China and Vietnam is an important step for the two countries who are in the process of settling the boundary issue, said the Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue Thursday afternoon. She told a regular press conference that ceremonies for the unveiling of the first land boundary tablet was held Thursday morning in Dongxing of Guangxi in China and Mong Cai in Vietnam. The move meant the start of implementation of the land boundary treaty between the two countries and of the surveying of boundary and establishment of boundary tablets, she noted. The spokeswoman said that land boundary demarcation is of significance in safeguarding the peace and stability of the border regions between China and Vietnam, and helps promote personnel contact and trade cooperation and furthers the good-neighborly relations between the two countries. **** Pyongyang Expected to Resume Economic Talks With Seoul: Report. Pyongyang is expected to accept Seoul's proposals for talks on economic issues next year, the South Korean Ministry of Unification said Friday. Pyongyang is expected to accept Seoul's proposals for talks on economic issues next year, the South Korean Ministry of Unification said Friday. "Pyongyang is likely to accept proposals for inter-Korean dialogue next year while maintaining its reconciliatory approach to Seoul," the ministry said in a report entitled "Evaluation of Development in North Korea in 2001 and Prospects for 2002." Government-level talks to on food and fertilizer aid and the Mountain Kumgang tourist project are expected to resume next year, said the ministry. However, the ministry pointed out that talks on economic cooperation projects such as the construction of an industrial complex in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) city of Kaesong and reconnection of the inter-Korean railway will depend on the outcome of inter-Korean military talks. **** Amnesty to Be Granted in DPRK. The presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) promulgated a decree dated Dec. 13 on declaring an amnesty on the occasion of the 90th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung. The presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) promulgated a decree dated Dec. 13 on declaring an amnesty on the occasion of the 90th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung. The presidium of the SPA of the DPRK made the following decision * An amnesty shall be granted for those sentenced to reform through labor for committing crimes against the country and people on the occasion of the 90th birth anniversary of the great leader comrade Kim Il Sung. * The amnesty shall take effect from January, 2002. * The cabinet and institutions concerned shall take practical steps to enable those set free to work and live in normal conditions." **** Russia Seizes Three Japanese Fishing Boats Near Disputed Islands. Russia has seized three Japanese fishing boats operating in waters near disputed islands off Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido, Japanese officials said Friday. Russia has seized three Japanese fishing boats operating in waters near disputed islands off Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido, Japanese officials said Friday. Each of the vessels carried about 10 fishermen, said Fisheries Agency official Hideo Inomata. One was seized Tuesday and the two others on Wednesday. Russia has detained Japanese trawlers plying its waters in the past, but this week's seizure was the first this year, Inomata said. Several Japanese boats have been fined this year for illegally operating near the disputed islands, which were taken from Japan by the former Soviet Union in the closing days of World War II. The row over the islands, which Russia calls the Kurils and Japan its Northern Territories, has prevented the two nations from signing a peace treaty. Under a fisheries accord between the two countries, the boats were catching Alaska cod within Russia's 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone, Inomata said. Russia claims one boat was catching fish beyond the allotted amount, while the two others were allegedly operating illegally within Russia's 12-nautical-mile territorial waters, Inomata said. Japan's Foreign Ministry was asking the Russian government for details, said a ministry spokesman who spoke on condition of anonymity. **** India, Pakistan Impose Tit-for-Tat-Sanctions. India banned Pakistan's national airline from entering Indian airspace and ordered half of Pakistan's embassy staff out of the country on Thursday, accusing its neighbor of sponsoring terrorists. Within hours, Pakistan announced identical steps against New Delhi. India banned Pakistan's national airline from entering Indian airspace and ordered half of Pakistan's embassy staff out of the country on Thursday, accusing its neighbor of sponsoring terrorists. Within hours, Pakistan announced identical steps against New Delhi. Pakistan International Airlines will be banned from Indian skies as of Jan. 1, the same day that an already announced halt to train and bus service between the two nuclear-armed rivals goes into effect. Indian External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh told a news conference that the staff of both embassies would be cut in half within 48 hours, and any Pakistan high commission employees remaining in New Delhi would be restricted to the city limits of the capital. Across the border in Islamabad, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan said on state television that the government would also ban Indian flights from Pakistani air space, order the expulsion of half the embassy staffers and restrict the movement of the rest to Islamabad. India has already withdrawn its ambassador from Pakistan in a series of political and economic sanctions aimed at pressuring Pakistan to shut down two Islamic militant groups that New Delhi blames for a Dec. 13 suicide attack on the Indian Parliament. A senior official of Pakistan's Foreign Ministry, speaking on condition of anonymity in Islamabad, responded that India's latest step was regrettable and would further aggravate the situation. ``Pakistan has been exercising maximum restraint and utilizing diplomatic channels,'' Aziz Ahmed Khan, a spokesman for Pakistan's Foreign Ministry, said just before Singh's announcement. **** OPEC Certain to Cut Oil Production: Qatari Official. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will be certain to decide on production cut at an emergency meeting to be held in Cairo on Friday, a Qatari official said on Thursday. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will be certain to decide on production cut at an emergency meeting to be held in Cairo on Friday, a Qatari official said on Thursday. Upon his arrival in Cairo late Thursday for the meeting, Qatari Minister of Energy, Industry, Electricity and Water Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiya told reporters that the OPEC will decide to cut production by 1.5 million barrels per day as of January 1. The OPEC will maintain the cuts for six months, he said. OPEC oil ministers will define oil production levels at the Cairo meeting and discuss ways of maintaining the stability of oil prices in the global markets. This will be the first time for the OPEC to hold a meeting in Egypt <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/egypt.html> , said Amin Sameh Fahmi, Egyptian minister of petroleum. He added that although Egypt is not an OPEC member, Egypt will make efforts to coordinate with OPEC members to stabilize the global oil markets. Last month, the OPEC said that it was waiting for details of production cuts from non-OPEC producers Norway and Russia before it agrees to implement an output cut agreement. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
