11.   ASEAN officials said the issue was not whether to give Hanoi membership but when.

12.   Burma, Cambodia and Laos are observers who had been expected to be given full membership next year.

13.   The Russian government has repeatedly opposed plans by NATO to give membership to countries in the former Soviet bloc.

14.   Russia firmly opposes NATO plans to give membership to several former Soviet-bloc states in eastern Europe, saying this would threaten Russian security.

15.   Russia has demanded legally binding guarantees for its security if NATO goes ahead with its plans to give membership to former Soviet bloc states.

16.   Russia says it must be given binding legal guarantees for its security if NATO is to go ahead with plans to give membership to several former Soviet bloc states.