71.   The two previous rounds had been essentially exploratory talks aimed at identifying issues for discussion and formulating a rehabiliation and reconstruction programme for the northeast.

72.   The two parties held separate exploratory talks Thursday with the facilitators from Nigeria to establish an agenda for the substantive talks.

73.   Turkish and Greek diplomats began Tuesday the first in a series of exploratory talks aimed at ending a long-running dispute over sovereignty in the Aegean Sea.

74.   US officials held exploratory talks with Bosnian Serb officials earlier this year in an effort to persuade them to accept an international peace plan for Bosnia.

75.   Ultimately, a hard-pressed McDonnell Douglas could decide to resume exploratory talks with Boeing on a merger, experts sayd.

76.   Until now, the British side has been represented by senior government officials in exploratory talks with the republican side led by Martin McGuinness, which began last December.

77.   It has been locked in exploratory talks with Britain since December, after the IRA declared a ceasefire early September.

78.   It has been locked in exploratory talks with Britain since December.

79.   Major added that no exploratory talks could take place between Sinn Fein leaders and British government ministers until further substantial progress was made in that area.

80.   Murad also proposed that instead of exploratory talks the technical groups from both sides should meet to lay the ground rules for the formal negotiations.