51.   It is seeking better ties with the United States.

52.   Kim also noted that Clinton promised not to sidestep South Korea in seeking improved ties with the North.

53.   Last year, President Mohammad Khatami, the leader of reformists who seek better ties with the West, promised a fair trial.

54.   Mandela said South Africa would seek full ties with China at the expense of Taiwan.

55.   Mandela announced last year that diplomatic links with Taiwan would be severed in order to seek ties with China, which refuses relations with any nation recognizing Taiwan.

56.   Morocco is seeking closer ties with the European Union, the major market for its citrus fruits and vegetables as well as fish, textiles and phosphates.

57.   Recently, however, China has actively sought trade ties with Southeast Asia.

58.   President Alexander Lukashenko has avidly sought closer ties to Moscow, and has cracked down harshly on opposition activists who wish to remain independent from Russia.

59.   Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz has said he will promote secular policies, such as the curbing of religious education, and seek stronger ties with the West.

60.   Russian-Georgian relations have been strained for most of the last decade, as Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze has sought close ties with the West.