71.   Of all six candidates that opened membership talks, Cyprus is economically the most advanced.

72.   On Monday, Turkish Foreign Minister Murat Karayalcin said Turkey will not let the EU start membership talks without a prior solution to the division of Cyprus.

73.   On Tuesday, the EU will open membership talks with Cyprus, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Estonia.

74.   On Friday, the EU leaders agreed to open fast-track membership talks with Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Estonia and Cyprus.

75.   On Friday, Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer summoned the heads of all parties to discuss the reforms Turkey must implement to start membership talks with the European Union.

76.   Poland started membership talks last March along with Hungary, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Slovenia and Cyprus.

77.   Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Slovakia and Lithuania have also started membership talks but are likely to need more time to prepare their economies and political systems.

78.   Simitis and Clerides said they discussed all facets of the Cyprus problem, including upcoming membership talks with the European Union.

79.   Six candidate countries to the EU - Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia opened membership talks with the EU this year.

80.   Showing their staunch independence, Swiss voters on Sunday overwhelmingly rejected a proposal for immediate membership talks with the European Union, according to exit polls and early results.