1.   Every time you looked up, there seemed to be some former Soviet republic wandering into town for a match.

2.   A new grouping, the Boere Weerstandsbeweging, pledged solidarity with the BP in its aim of re-establishing former Boer republics.

3.   NATO ministers promised humanitarian aid, and drew up guidelines for recognising the independence of the former Soviet republics.

4.   International recognition of the former constituent republics of the Soviet Union, and of Russia as its legal successor, followed swiftly after the Alma Ata agreement.

5.   Ministers did agree that the IMF should accept the former republics as members by April.

6.   Only Georgia among the former Soviet republics would thus be left without diplomatic relations with the USA.

7.   All the former Soviet republics with the exception of Georgia were admitted as members.

8.   All the former Soviet republics except Georgia were now UN members.

9.   The mujaheddin victory also had major regional implications, particularly for Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran and the former Soviet republics bordering the north of the country.