51.   The second committee meeting followed earlier discussions in which PLO leaders decided against suspending the peace talks.

52.   A senior Burmese junta member met UN assistant secretary general for political affairs Alavaro de Soto on Saturday following his discussions with the opposition, official sources said.

53.   Arafat, chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, made no statement to the press following discussions that lasted less than an hour.

54.   Barshefsky made no comment after the bilateral talks, which followed overnight discussions among officials of the United States, Europe, Canada, Japan and other Asian nations.

55.   Following the discussions an action plan is expected to be presented, consisting of concrete measures aimed at boosting international and economic cooperation and improving the environment.

56.   The project follows recent discussions between Welsh Secretary William Hague and senior Japanese representatives during a trade mission to the Far East.

57.   The talks followed discussions late Thursday between the Pakistani president and his Chinese counterpart Jiang Zemin, who warned the immediate future of Afghanistan could be difficult.

58.   The UN resolution to send a fact-finding team was adopted following discussions Annan held with Israeli Defence Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.

59.   The visit follows discussions in Beijing earlier this month on the difficult border issue and other bilateral matters.

60.   There has been a significant increase in the shipments of soybeans to China since October, following discussions between top US and Chinese officials on the issue.