BBC Monitoring Weekly Prospects for 31 March - 11 April 2004.

(From BBC Monitoring International Reports)

MIDDLE EAST

22 Mar-2 Apr

EGYPT: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) conference in Cairo to discuss how to tackle security problems. (ICAO web site)

31

EGYPT: State Security Court delivers verdict in case of lawyer Walid Lutfi Hashim, accused of attempted espionage in favour of Israel (Egyptian news agency MENA)

31

IRAQ: Anniversary of founding of Iraqi Communist Party (1934) (BBC Monitoring)

31

EGYPT: Saudi crown prince holding talks with President Mubarak in Sharm al-Shaykh to discuss Arab summit issue (Al-Jazeera TV)

1 Apr

IRAN: Islamic Republic Day (a public holiday): anniversary of referendum in 1979 which resulted in Iran becoming the Islamic Republic (BBC Monitoring)

1

IRAQ: Four ministries, education, health, water resources and public works, gain sovereignty as part of transfer of power from US-led coalition (Al-Jazeera TV)

2

MAGHREB: Arab League Secretary-General Amr Musa touring Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco to discuss Arab summit issue (Egyptian news agency MENA)

3

SUDAN: Egyptian Public Business Sector Minister Mukhtar Khattab visits to take part in inauguration of White Nile Sugar Factory. Egypt contributes to the project (Egyptian news agency MENA)

4

IRAN: Majlis restarts work (Iranian news agency ISNA web site)

5

ISRAEL: Start of Jewish Passover (BBC Monitoring)

5

SUDAN: Seventh session of National Assembly opens; President Umar al-Bashir addresses nation (Sudanese news agency Suna) …