1.   And yet rarely has a summit been preceded by such gloomy prognostications.

2.   A flurry of secret contacts involving U.N. envoy Terje Larsen of Norway preceded the summit.

3.   Blair hopes that by preceding the summit with ministerial meetings, the leaders can focus on a smaller number of very significant issues.

4.   The CIS summit will be preceded by a meeting between Yeltsin and Lukashenko Thursday, marking the third anniversary of the union between Russia and Belarus.

5.   The summit should be preceded by a meeting of military leaders, he added.

6.   A World Assembly on Cities and Local Authorities will precede the summit on Thursday and Friday.

7.   The summit is traditionally preceded by meetings of experts and foreign ministers.