71.   Arafat is apparently insisting on the summit out of concern that Israel will try to weaken his negotiating position by cutting separate peace deals with Syria and Lebanon.

72.   At preliminary sessions in Bonn, Germany, last month, the U.S. delegation once again took no detailed negotiating position.

73.   Australian coal companies will go into contract talks with Japanese buyers armed with new statistics designed to bolster their negotiating positions, the government said Tuesday.

74.   Beijing and Taipei have restated old negotiating positions.

75.   Both sides insist the talks are in the preliminary stage and remain firm in their negotiating positions.

76.   Both sides insist that the talks remain in the preliminary stage and remain firm in their negotiating positions.

77.   Both sides say the talks are in the preliminary stage and each remains firm in their negotiating positions.

78.   But Beijing and Taipei have also restated old, divisive negotiating positions.

79.   But the offensive shows the government has little regard for the peace plan and is trying to improve its negotiating position by driving the rival group out of Kabul.

80.   Damascus said the accord weakened Arab negotiating positions with the Jewish State.