20000320

Clinton calls UAE president over regional issues

DUBAI: U.S. President Bill Clinton spoke to UAE President Sheikh Zaid bin Sultan al-Nahayan to discuss bilateral relations and current regional issues, the state WAM news agency reported on Sunday.

It was not clear from the report if the two leaders also discussed oil prices.

The United Arab Emirates is a major Opec producer with a production quota of two million barrels per day.

Oil prices have soared in recent weeks and the United States has urged Opec countries to boost oil production at their meeting in Vienna on March 27.

On Thursday Clinton called Saudi Arabia's King Fahd, but a White House spokesman said it was unknown if the two men discussed oil.-Reuters