o known as CMEA or Comecon established 25 January 1949
to promote the development of socialist economies and abolished 1
January 1991; members included Afghanistan (observer), Albania (had not
participated since 1961 break with USSR), Angola (observer), Bulgaria,
Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Ethiopia (observer), GDR, Hungary, Laos (observer),
Mongolia, Mozambique (observer), Nicaragua (observer), Poland, Romania,
USSR, Vietnam, Yemen (observer), Yugoslavia (associate)

** Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU) **

established - 3 June 1957; effective - 30 May 1964

aim - to promote economic integration among Arab nations

members - (11 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Egypt, Iraq,
Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, UAE, Yemen,
Palestine Liberation Organization

** Council of Europe (CE) **

established - 5 May 1949; effective - 3 August 1949

aim - to promote increased unity and quality of life in Europe

members - (43) Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium,
Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,
Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UK

guests - (2) Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia

observers - (6) Canada, Holy See, Israel, Japan, Mexico, US

** Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) **

established - 6 March 1992

aim - to promote cooperation among the Baltic Sea states in the areas of
aid to new democratic institutions, economic development, humanitarian
aid, energy and the environment, cultural programs and education, and
transportation and communication

members - (12) Denmark, Estonia, EC, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia,
Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden

** Council of the Entente (Entente) **

established - 29 May 1959

aim - to promote economic, social, and political coordination

members - (5) Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Niger, Togo

** countries in transition **

a term used by the International Monetary FUND (IMF) for the middle
group in its hierarchy of advanced economies, countries in transition,
and developing countries; recently published IMF statistics include the
following 28 countries in trans