Earlier Tuesday, the president-elect said he was "deeply concerned" about the loss of life in Gaza and Israel, and he promised to make the issue a top priority in his administration.

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Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told parliament on Wednesday that the abduction issue would be a top priority.

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But it would send an important message to people inside Iran and in the West that solving the nuclear issue is now a top priority for the supreme leader and that Iran is keen to solve the deadlock while there is still time.

BBC: Iran's nuclear ambitions stalk presidential election

"The issue of the Palestinian people is the first issue and top priority issue, " Tunisian Foreign Minister Habib Ben Yahia said at a news conference after the close of the summit.

CNN: Arab leaders pledge reform on their terms

Campaign finance reform is another issue that Congress will soon debate and it remains a top priority only for a handful of Americans, with six in ten saying it should be a low priority or no priority at all for Congress.

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In his first month in office, Mr Sharif had given no sign that constitutional reform was a top priority indeed he barely mentioned the issue.

ECONOMIST: Pakistan

Saying the government was looking forward to working with the Obama administration on the issue, he added: ""It is their top priority and a very high priority for us.

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The promise of reducing pesticide use in this country, which uses twice the amount per ton of food as the U.S., is also an emotional issue with the government, which has made cleaning up China's environment a top priority.

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