21.   Leaders from the candidate nations will meet with the EU leaders on Saturday when the summit closes.

22.   Of all six candidate nations that began negotiating in Brussels, Cyprus is economically the most advanced.

23.   Of all six candidate nations that opened membership negotiations here, Cyprus is economically the most advanced.

24.   Of all six candidate nations that opened membership negotiations here, Cyprus is economically the most advanced and membership talks could last five years.

25.   Spanish Agriculture Minister Miguel Arias Canete, who chaired the meeting, said the EU had little room to adjust the proposals to give the candidate nations more aid.

26.   The German-initiated pact is designed to limit the spending of euro candidate nations to ensure a strong currency in the future.

27.   The EU ministers met in one-on-one sessions with their colleagues from the six candidate nations.

28.   The EU was to hold one-on-one meetings later Monday and Tuesday with the candidate nations in Luxembourg.

29.   The government expressed its happiness Wednesday with praise for Cyprus and criticism of Turkey in EU progress reports on candidate nations.

30.   The NATO study concludes that the state of the military in the three candidate nations is better than previously thought, said a NATO official on condition of anonymity.