21.   The diplomats said the Americans would probably have little trouble in negotiating a reduction in their assessments if they would first pay their arrears.

22.   The Paris Club incorporates a number of creditor countries that negotiate reductions of debts with indebted nations.

23.   The United States and Russia oppose formation of such a committee, saying they first want to negotiate missile reductions between themselves.

24.   They insist that they must first negotiate missile reductions between themselves and that letting everyone else have a say would only complicate the process.

25.   They also are likely to tell the Russian foreign minister the administration wants to negotiate reductions in offensive nuclear arsenals, long a Russian goal.

26.   U.S. and Russian officials negotiating a reduction in Russian troop levels have gone home to grapple with unresolved issues, a U.S. source said Thursday.

27.   Delegates to the UN climate conference issued a declaration committing signatories of the Rio Climate Convention to negotiate a reduction in greenhouse gases.

28.   The UN gathering issued a major declaration by environment ministers committing signatories to the Rio Climate Convention to negotiate a reduction in greenhouse gases.

29.   The objective of Doha is to negotiate a reduction of agricultural subsidies in rich countries.