1.   She said it was part of the community relations partnership programme.

2.   In addition to the central government boosting payments to poor regions, Hu said rich provinces should directly help poor counterparts through partnership programmes.

3.   -- The closer relationship would give Moscow no special status over the other countries in the partnership programme.

4.   Azerbaijan joined the partnership programme in May.

5.   But Moscow has indicated it will sign the partnership programme only if NATO agrees to a parallel accord of political cooperation between Russia and the western alliance.

6.   But they hedged the offer with conditions -- notably that Russia join the military partnership programme, and accept that it could not influence NATO decisions on eastern Europe.

7.   The partnership programme is designed for former countries of the Warsaw Pact.

8.   The Russian general said they would also discuss preparations for joint military manoeuvres in the NATO partnership programme, of which Russia is a member.

9.   Ukraine and Russia have troops serving alongside NATO peacekeeping forces in former Yugoslavia, and both are members of the NATO partnership programme of limited military cooperation and exchanges.

10.   Kozyrev was due to sign two documents -- an individual partnership programme between Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and a framework accord on NATO-Russia relations.