`Symbolic' status for Argentina

Washington - The US Secretary of State, Ms Madeleine Albright, has indicated that the US is likely to grant Argentina what she called "symbolic" status as a non-NATO ally. "This is a status that is not a security relationship. It does not provide fighter planes or anything like that. It is basically a relationship that recognises symbolically a country's relationship with the United States and it's open to other countries, including Chile," she said.