31.   Former OAU Secretary-General Salim Ahmed Salim Wednesday urged African countries to make democratic governance the centre of their policies and strategies.

32.   In his address, Christopher also urged Latin American countries to join the United States in condemning Cuba for shooting down two unarmed US-registered planes.

33.   Asvall urged countries in the Balkan region, including Serbia, Macedonia, Greece, Italy and Turkey, to guard themselves against the spread of polio.

34.   Beijing, which sees Taiwan as a rebel province, has urged other countries against forging ties with Taiwan.

35.   But another member Iran, which has said it will attend, also urged Islamic countries on Saturday to take part in the forum to strengthen their position.

36.   The spokesman recalled that Beijing had urged other countries with soveriegnty claims on the Spratlys to shelve their disputes and develop the archipelago together.

37.   Tunisian Interior Minister Abdallah Kallel, speaking at the opening of the conference, urged countries not participating not to allow fundamentalist movements to operate from their territory.

38.   US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick urged Latin American countries to lower trade barriers, arguing that free trade offered greater opportunities than protectionism to achieve prosperity.

39.   Meanwhile, an unidentified Taliban spokesman, quoted by AIP, urged foreign countries not to reopen their diplomatic missions in Kabul.

40.   Pedersen urged other countries to makes efforts to bridge the gulf in class in order to rekindle fast fading supporter interest.