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Functional standardization activities in ISO and in regional workshops are currently addressing end-system profiles and network layer relay profiles for the interconnection of several types of subnetworks. In order to achieve end-system interconnectivity, connection-mode network layer relays appear as one of the key pieces of the Open Systems Interconnection puzzle. In this paper the authors present a proposal for a connection-mode relay profile that is being input to the European Workshop for Open Systems, discuss the relevant profile options, and identify some issues- concerning the proposed as well as other relay profiles- that will require future attention and discussion. KEY WORDS: Service relay, protocol relay, network-layer relays, internetworking, international standardized profiles.