61.   With the exception of Sweden and Finland, all the others are former Communist bloc countries or ex-Soviet constituent republics.

62.   Yeltsin also blasted US-led plans to expand NATO to include former communist bloc countries.

63.   Kozyrev said the individual agreement for Russia excluded it from cooperation being offered by NATO to other former communist bloc nations, and called for further discussions.

64.   Many of the sales were to Communist bloc countries, often on credit which was not paid back.

65.   Nine members of the former communist bloc joined the Western European Union as associate members last month.

66.   Russia has strongly criticised NATO plans to expand eastwards to embrace countries that formerly were part of the communist bloc.

67.   Russia is opposed to the NATO plan to include former communist bloc countries who have nevertheless applied to join.

68.   She claimed Turkey had protected Europe against communist bloc states of eastern Europe and that Turkey was better integrated than these countries in the world economy.

69.   The assembly will also deal with the transition underway in the former communist bloc from a centrally-controlled to a market economy.

70.   The collapse of the Communist bloc has since allowed for cooperation to expand.