41.   Like other former communist nations, Slovakia has applied to join NATO.

42.   Moldova is wedged between Ukraine, which has not applied to join, and Romania, which has made membership a priority.

43.   Nine countries have applied to join NATO, including Baltic countries Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia as well as Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania.

44.   No members of the Democratic Party applied to join the Selection Committee.

45.   North Korea has formally applied to join the Asian Development Bank, a South Korean report said Sunday, quoting a senior official of the regional lending institution.

46.   Other sports that have applied to join the Olympics include rugby, bowling, billiards, body building, ballroom dancing, squash and surfing.

47.   Pressed on whether Russia could ever join NATO, Robertson said Moscow does not want to apply to join the alliance.

48.   Russia applied to join three years ago, but the Council broke of negotiations in February after Yeltsin sent in troops to quell the Chechen revolt.

49.   Separately, Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto pointed out that Beijing had not yet applied to join.

50.   Singapore is applying to join.