1.
SV INT Prime Minister Mamdouh Salem entering hall (grey hair and civilian clothes)
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2.
SV General Bashir Mohammed Ali of Sudan PAN ACROSS TO Egyptian delegates taking seats
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3.
SV Egyptian and Sudanese delegates seated for signing (2 shots)
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4.
SV General Gamassi receiving agreement for signing
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5.
SV General Ali signing agreement (2 shots)
0.51

6.
SV General Gamassi signing agreement
1.01


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:



Al-Ahram did not say what the three Presidents would discuss, but Arab sources quoted by Reuters news agency in Cairo, said a topic could be the possibility of Sudan's joining a newly created unified Egyptian-Syrian political command, or another form of close coordination. After visiting Egypt, the Sudanese leaders flew to Damascus for talks with Syrian President Hafez Al-Assad.




Initials BB/0230



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: INTRODUCTION: Egypt and Sudan have adopted new military measures to repel attempts at sabotage against their countries under an agreement signed in Cairo last Saturday (15 January). The joint defence accord follows a defence pact of last July which stipulated that any aggression against one state was also regarded as aggression against the other, and it comes at a time of rapidly worsening relations between Sudan and neighbouring Ethiopia. Ethiopia is accused of having trained mercenaries which threaten Sudan's security. Ethiopia has denied the charge.

SYNOPSIS: Egyptian Premier Mamdouh Salem attended the ceremony but the document was signed by War Minister and Deputy Premier General Mohammed Abdel-Ghani Gamassi.

His Sudanese counterpart, General Bashir Mohammed Ali, signed for his country. General Ali and Sudanese Prime Minister El-Rasheed El-Tahir Bakr were on a three day visit to Egypt. They arrived last Thursday (13 January), and had talks in Aswan with President Sadat before coming to Cairo. A statement about the agreement said that joint measures had been endorsed to repel any attempt at sabotage, but did not state what those measures were.

It warned that those who financed or planned aggression must realise the dangerous consequence of their acts. The defence agreement preceded the announcement on Monday (17 January) by the semi-official Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram of a summit between the Presidents of Egypt, Syria and Sudan in Khartoum next month.