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DOWN THE CORRIDOR

One of the smaller conference rooms was the venue late Monday night, for a meeting of the Like-Minded States Grouping who support the "core group" consisting of Canada, Iceland, New Zealand, Argentina and Chile. Canadian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Brian Tobin, addressed the meeting. This was the first meeting of the Like-Minded members since the conclusion of the first substantive session in July 1993 and 17 Like-Minded members attended. This is in contrast to a membership that peaked with over 60 supporting States late last year. The make-up of the core group of individual delegations has changed since last year. Ambassador Gudmundur Eiriksson of Iceland has been replaced at this session of the Conference by Counsellor Kristinn Arnason. Canada's delegation is headed by Bob Applebaum, Head of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, following the recent resignation of Ambassador Randolph Gherson. The membership of the Like-Minded core group has now increased to seven with Norway and Peru acceding. Leading the Peruvian delegation is Ambassador Alfonso Arias-Schreiber, a veteran of Law of the Sea negotiations.