1.   Rafsanjani, in Istanbul for the inauguration of an economic cooperation group of developing Muslim nations, denied the presence of rebels.

2.   A private French-Iraqi economic cooperation group announced Friday that Iraq planned to organize a business symposium in Baghdad in February to strengthen bilateral commercial links.

3.   Asian countries launched a new cooperation group Wednesday, but ruled out using it to resolve conflicts such as the one between India and Pakistan.

4.   During the two-day session, the six nations are expected to launch a new cooperation group called the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

5.   Representatives of eight Muslim nations on Sunday founded an economic cooperation group to fight poverty.

6.   The case has threatened to spoil relations between Singapore and the Philippines, partners in a regional economic cooperation group.

7.   The foreign ministers of eight Muslim countries will meet in Turkey next month to set up an economic cooperation group.

8.   The Islamic cooperation group is the brain-child of Islamic Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan who is intent on forging closer ties with Muslim states.

9.   The latest report appears only to deepen the rift between the two partners in a regional trading cooperation group.

10.   Azerbaijani President Geidar Aliyev told the conference that the Black Sea cooperation group should also seek to restore peace in the whole of its region.