1.   The conference finally agreed to suggest that Mediterranean nations should not use drift nets.

2.   Investors and tourists alike seem poised to pounce on the novelty of Libya, a Mediterranean nation with historical sites as old as Phoenicia.

3.   Oil fields are pumping in seven Mediterranean nations, and exploration is under way in several more.

4.   Other Mediterranean nations, such as Turkey, serve as the principal conduits for oil from beyond the basin.

5.   Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is to be the only other head of government at the meeting, to which all Mediterranean nations except Libya have been invited.

6.   A key European Union official said Turkey has failed to meet the criteria for joining the organization, but offered the Mediterranean nation help in carrying out reforms.

7.   A U.N. health conference opened Saturday to discuss problems of eastern Mediterranean nations, including the paucity of locally produced vaccines and medicines.

8.   Additionally, EU aid has been hobbled by red tape in Europe and the inability of Mediterranean nations to guarantee funds will be used judiciously.

9.   And last month, the EU signed a broad political and economic cooperation accord with a dozen Mediterranean nations.

10.   As the conference opened, the government in Tripoli issued a statement accusing the EU of interfering in the internal affairs of Mediterranean nations.