Extracts. Monday, December 04, 2000, updated at 09:54(GMT+8) Arab FMs in Cairo for Talks on Supporting Palestinians Arab foreign ministers met Sunday, December 3, to discuss the ongoing tensions in Palestinian territories and the implementation of the resolutions adopted by the Arab summit in October, the official Middle East News Agency reported. Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa said at a news conference following the meeting that the ministers reviewed the developments in the Arab world regarding supporting Palestinians since the Arab foreign ministers convened last month in Doha, Qatar, on the sidelines of the Organization of the Islamic Conference summit. Moussa, who chaired the meeting, said that foreign ministers from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Tunisia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian National Authority, who constitute the follow- up committee set up by the Arab summit, made preparations for the committee's ministerial meeting in Damascus, Syria, next Sunday. They also reviewed the outcome of the meetings of the Arab foreign and information ministers last month, as well as the developments regarding the two funds established at the Arab summit for supporting the Palestinian uprising. The Cairo Arab summit on October 21-22, attended by all the 22 members of the Arab League, set up two funds of a total of 1 billion U.S. dollars to support the "Arab and Islamic character of Jerusalem" and the families of those Palestinians killed in the ongoing clashes with Israeli forces. A total of 11 Arab countries had offered nearly 700 million dollars for the two funds up to November 23. The clashes that have lasted more than two months have killed over 280 Palestinians and injured thousands of others. Sunday's gatherings were attended by the Cairo-based Arab League Secretary General Esmat Abdel-Meguid and the Arab permanent representatives to the pan-Arab forum. **** Monday, December 04, 2000, updated at 09:54(GMT+8) Kuwait Calls for Talks on Offset to Iraqi Half of Oil Supplies Kuwaiti First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah underlined Sunday, December 3, the importance of maintaining the stability of the world oil market through consultation and coordination among major oil producing countries. Sheikh Sabah was responding to questions by the official Kuwait News Agency and Kuwait TV over Iraq's halt of oil exports and the consideration by Saudi Arabia to raise oil output to cover up the shortage cause by Iraq's freeze of supplies. Iraq suspended shipments of its crude oil on Friday after it failed to reach an agreement with the United Nations on a new pricing scheme for its oil to be sold under the UN oil-for-food program. Iraq sells about 2.3 million barrels of oil per day, with all the oil revenues going into a UN-controlled bank account. But Iraq has proposed its crude be sold below the price on the world market and a 50-cent surcharge per barrel be deposited into an Iraq-controlled bank account. The UN sanctions committee has said the Iraqi pricing formula was too low to reflect a fair market value and asked Baghdad to submit a new one. But Iraq turned off the tap. On the Iraqi move, Sheikh Sabah said "this is its policy and we do not interfere in that," adding Kuwait has been paying attention to the possible influence on world oil stocks. The Kuwaiti official underlined the need for consultation among members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on making up for the shortage. On Saturday, Saudi Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi, whose country is the world's biggest oil producer and exporter, said Riyadh and other OPEC members could raise production to make up for Iraq's halt of exports. "Saudi Arabia is consulting with OPEC members and the International Energy Agency as the representative of consumer countries to evaluate the current situation on the market," Naimi said. "In case of a cut in supplies, these consultations will lead to a practical position that guarantees market stability and remedies any anomaly," he said. **** Monday, December 04, 2000, updated at 09:54(GMT+8) Yemeni President Meets Arafat on Mideast Crisis Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh met Sunday, December 3, with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on the persisting Palestinian "intifada" (uprising) and Israel's excessive use of force against the Palestinian people in occupied territories. Arafat briefed Saleh on the results of his recent contacts and meetings with leaders of Arab countries on the Mideast situation and the Palestinian issue. Saleh praised the Palestinian "al-Aqsa intifada" and highlighted the Yemeni people's support for it. The Palestinians launched the "al-Aqsa intifada" after Israeli right-wing politician Ariel Sharon's provocative visit to the al-Aqsa compound in East Jerusalem on September 28 triggered violent clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli soldiers. Saleh stressed the necessity of Arab and Islamic material support for the Palestinian people until they restore their legitimate rights, including the right to self-determination and the right to establish an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. The Yemeni president also underscored the importance of implementing the resolutions of the Cairo Arab Summit in October and the ninth summit of the Organization of Islamic Conference in Qatar in November, especially the resolutions on the Palestinian issue. "The protection of the Palestinian people and the Islamic holy sites in the occupied Palestinian territories is an Arab and Islamic responsibility," Saleh said. He urged the international community to shoulder its humanitarian responsibility for stopping the "annihilation war" waged against the Palestinian people, and called on the United Nations and the Security Council to deploy a peace-keeping force in Palestine to protect the unarmed Palestinian people and their holy sites. Arafat also spoke highly of the bold positions of the Yemeni leader and his support for the Palestinian rights and the intifada. On Sunday evening Saleh hosted an "Iftar" (Muslim breakfast) banquet in honour of Arafat and his delegation. Arafat, who arrived here Sunday afternoon after a visit to the United Arab Emirates, left for home in the evening. **** China, Mongolia Vow to Further Military Ties Chinese Defence Minister Chi Haotian said Sunday that China expects to further friendly military cooperation with Mongolia. In a meeting with Suren Baasankhuu, state secretary of the Ministry of Defence of Mongolia and his party, Chi noted that China attaches importance to developing the good-neighborly friendly cooperation with its neighbors, including Mongolia. Chi, who is also vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission and a state councilor, said that the two countries have been helping each other and the bilateral cooperation has developed rapidly in recent years. He said that the defence ministers and the chiefs of general staff of the two countries have realized exchange visits in the past few years, marking a further step in bilateral military relations. Baasankhuu said that the Mongolian military is willing to conduct all-round friendly cooperation with the Chinese military, adding that the cooperation has been expanded and deepened in recent years. He said that he believes his current visit to China will be helpful to the furthering of the cooperation between the two countries and their militaries. **** Public Security, Judicial Organs Urged to Guarantee Social Stability Wei Jianxing, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, urged public security and judicial departments on Saturday, December 2, to spare no effort to maintain social and political security. This is important for ensuring the smooth implementation of the country's 10th five-year plan set for social and economic development in 2001-2005, he said at a two-day national conference on political and legal work, which closed Saturday. Wei called on these departments to play an important role in cracking down on hostile forces both at home and abroad, elements that undermine ethnic unity, key members of cult organizations, criminal offenders and economic crime offenders. Noting that there exist factors affecting social stability, he said public security and judicial departments will encounter many new problems with China's entry into the World Trade Organization. He requires the departments to seek new measures to guarantee that China's open-up and modernization drive continues smoothly. Local officials should be responsible for major accidents or criminal cases endangering social stability in their respective areas, he said. **** Cubans Rally to Urge Panama to Extradite Terrorist Suspects Over 200,000 Cubans rallied in Havana December 2 to demand the extradition of Luis Posada Carriles and his "accomplices" to Cuba, who were accused of trying to murder Cuban President, Fidel Castro. Cuba's First Vice President , Raul Castro, also took part in the rally, in which participants said, "We don't want revenge, we want justice". Posada Carriles and three Cubans were arrested on November 17 in Panama for trying to murder Castro during the 10th Ibero American Summit. The Cuban foreign ministry formally requested Panama the " quick" extradition of Posada Carriles and his three associates on Friday. Posada is charged of participation in the explosion of a Cuban airplane in 1976, killing 73 people, and bombings in a Havana hotel in 1997, killing one Italian tourist. Panama Rejects Extradition of Suspected Castro Killers Panama rejected Cuba's request for the extradition of four Cuban exiles accused of conspiring to assassinate Cuban leader Fidel Castro. If the suspects are tried in Panama and proven guilty, Luis Posada Carriles and his three associates would be punished in Panama rather than sent to Cuba where the death penalty awaits them, said Panamanian First Vice President Arturo Vallarino. **** Yugoslav President Meets China's Foreign Minister Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica told visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan on Saturday, December 2, that it is of strategic importance for his country to develop relations with China. Briefing Tang on the latest developments of the situation in Yugoslavia, Kostunica said that to develop the Yugoslavia-China relationship is of strategic significance for Yugoslavia, as his country is aware that China plays an important role in establishing a fairer, new international order. During the meeting, Tang conveyed Chinese President Jiang Zemin's invitation for Kostunica to visit China and Kostunica accepted it with pleasure. Kostunica said Yugoslavia and China enjoy the traditional friendly and cooperative relations between them and bilateral relations have bright prospects for development. On the Kosovo issue, Tang said China strongly opposed the air campaign against Yugoslavia by the U.S.-led NATO and maintains that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yugoslavia must be fully respected. China also maintains that the U.N. Security Council resolution No. 1244 should be carried out in real earnest and equal rights of ethnic groups in Kosovo be guaranteed effectively, Tang said. He also called for the early and total lifting of the sanctions against Yugoslavia. Kostunica said he approved China's positions on dealing with problems in the Balkans. He also reaffirmed his country's "one China" policy. Later in the day, Tang also held talks with Yugoslav Prime Minister Zoran Zizic and his counterpart Goran Svilanovic. Tang, who arrived here Saturday, will also visit Albania, Hungary and Poland during his current four-nation European tour. _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for geopolitics. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________