May 28, 2002	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 15,1423

LONDON, May 27: Gold held close to its highest mark in more than two years on Monday afternoon, as the metal held firm on fears of a full-blown India-Pakistan war, although European trade was slow due to the closure of U.S. markets.

Gold held close to $320.00 an ounce for most of the holiday-shortened session while tensions simmered on the India-Pakistan border.

Gold was quiet on Friday and over the weekend and remains so today, with the US and much of the Far Eastern markets closed for public holidays, said Rhona O’Connell, market analyst manager at the World Gold Council.

There has been no real market all day, and it closes after the fix because the US are off today, trader said.—Reuters