21.   Ruhe said the summit must also decide what to tell those countries not selected for early NATO membership.

22.   Slovakia dropped out of the running for early membership in NATO and the European Union, largely because of concerns about its domestic policies.

23.   Since then, Romania has struggled to convince Western nations it is eligible for early NATO membership.

24.   Sweden and Finland are not expected to follow Austria in seeking early full membership in the European Monetary System.

25.   The Czech Republic and other formerly Communist countries in central Europe seek early membership in NATO, fearing a security vacuum in the region.

26.   The government and opposition have no quarrel over foreign affairs, where Klaus has made early membership of the country in NATO and the European Union the main goal.

27.   The government has made early membership a priority and has launched a diplomatic blitz in the capitals of member countries to convince them that Romania is ready.

28.   The measure would encourage early NATO membership for Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

29.   Van den Broek urged second-tier candidates to improve their economic record without delay and thus boost their chance of early membership.

30.   We shall strongly support other applicants in their efforts to meet the conditions for an early membership, with a view to making the WTO a truly universal organisation.