31.   Franklin Sonn, the South African ambassador to the United States, said his country welcomes the volunteers.

32.   He said the move was welcomed by countries in the European Union.

33.   Israel and the United States oppose such a European role, but Arab countries have welcomed it.

34.   A Kuwaiti envoy left Monday for Iran on the first leg of a Middle East tour to explain why his country welcomed US troops during a confrontation with Iraq.

35.   Before the sanctions against Iraq, the country welcomed numerous foreign archeological missions each year.

36.   Croatian Tourism Minister Pave Zupan Ruskovic said his country would welcome Thai investors to take part in the Croatian tourism industry, including the development of tourist attractions.

37.   The Vietnamese leader said his country would welcome further Japanese investment and asked Japan to import rice from Vietnam.

38.   Ismail also told the Kuwaiti newspaper that his country would no longer welcome Ossama Ben Laden, a Saudi dissident considered a major financier of Islamic militant groups.

39.   Mandela said his country would particularly welcome Japanese investment in the manufacturing sector and greater involvement in development of human resources.