71.   The former Red Army parachute commander stressed his opposition to plans for bringing former Soviet bloc nations into the alliance.

72.   The Madrid summit agenda is also to include expanding membership to former Soviet bloc nations in eastern Europe.

73.   The presidents of the Czech Republic and Poland urged NATO on Wednesday to admit former Soviet bloc nations to its ranks as a way of containing spreading European unrest.

74.   The question of mutual cooperation is especially important as NATO takes steps to bring former eastern bloc nations into the alliance.

75.   The three former Soviet bloc nations were invited in July to join the Atlantic Alliance.

76.   The two former Soviet bloc nations hope to be invited to join NATO during its November summit in Prague.

77.   The U.S. guardsmen are visiting Estonia under a military exchange program with former East bloc nations.

78.   They were the first former Soviet bloc nations to be offered membership.

79.   Three former Soviet bloc nations, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, hope to join the alliance in March.

80.   U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry urged former Soviet bloc nations Wednesday to continue working toward membership in NATO but acknowledged they may have to wait.