81.   The visit was the first time a Turkish prime minister had attended Newroz celebrations which had previously been considered mainly as a Kurdish feast.

82.   The wives of foreign diplomats also attended the celebration.

83.   Thousands of people attended the celebrations in Kiev, including many from the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada, the United States and elsewhere in the West.

84.   US President Bill Clinton had been invited to attend the celebrations but decided instead to attend the Moscow ceremonies.

85.   It was the first time a Turkish prime minister had attended Newroz celebrations, which in previous years had sometimes been banned among Kurds by Turkish security forces.

86.   Kohl had insisted that he would not travel to Russia if he were required to attend a celebration of the military victory over Germany.

87.   Leaders from about a dozen countries, mainly African nations, were expected to attend the celebrations.

88.   Meanwhile, state councillor Luo Gan flew to Pyongyang on Wednesday to attend celebrations of the treaty in the North Korean capital.

89.   Ministerial delegations from neighbouring Togo and Nigeria, as well as Angola, the Gambia, Guinea, Egypt, Liberia and Libya also attended the celebrations.

90.   Pak was attending celebrations marking the Libyan revolution.