diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/service/contactlist/ContactListService.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/service/contactlist/ContactListService.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..28e197af7
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+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/service/contactlist/ContactListService.java
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+/*
+ * SIP Communicator, the OpenSource Java VoIP and Instant Messaging client.
+ *
+ * Distributable under LGPL license.
+ * See terms of license at gnu.org.
+ */
+package net.java.sip.communicator.service.contactlist;
+
+import javax.swing.tree.TreeModel;
+import javax.swing.tree.TreePath;
+import javax.swing.event.TreeModelListener;
+
+/**
+ * The <code>MetaContactListService</code> handles the global project contact
+ * list including contacts from all implemented protocols.
+ *
+ * An implementation of
+ * the <code>MetaContactListService</code> would take care of the
+ * synchronization of server stored contact lists both contacts and
+ * contact groups originating from server stored lists (as is the of ICQ) and
+ * all protocol implementations currently
+ * @author Emil Ivov
+ */
+public interface ContactListService
+{
+    /**
+     * Returns the root of the tree.
+     *
+     * @return the root of the tree
+     * @todo Implement this javax.swing.tree.TreeModel method
+     */
+    public Object getRoot();
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the child of <code>parent</code> at index <code>index</code>
+     * in the parent's child array.
+     *
+     * @param parent a node in the tree, obtained from this data source
+     * @param index int
+     * @return the child of <code>parent</code> at index <code>index</code>
+     * @todo Implement this javax.swing.tree.TreeModel method
+     */
+    public Object getChild(Object parent, int index);
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the number of children of <code>parent</code>.
+     *
+     * @param parent a node in the tree, obtained from this data source
+     * @return the number of children of the node <code>parent</code>
+     * @todo Implement this javax.swing.tree.TreeModel method
+     */
+    public int getChildCount(Object parent);
+
+    /**
+     * Returns <code>true</code> if <code>node</code> is a leaf.
+     *
+     * @param node a node in the tree, obtained from this data source
+     * @return true if <code>node</code> is a leaf
+     * @todo Implement this javax.swing.tree.TreeModel method
+     */
+    public boolean isLeaf(Object node);
+
+    /**
+     * Messaged when the user has altered the value for the item identified
+     * by <code>path</code> to <code>newValue</code>.
+     *
+     * @param path path to the node that the user has altered
+     * @param newValue the new value from the TreeCellEditor
+     * @todo Implement this javax.swing.tree.TreeModel method
+     */
+    public void valueForPathChanged(TreePath path, Object newValue);
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the index of child in parent.
+     *
+     * @param parent a note in the tree, obtained from this data source
+     * @param child the node we are interested in
+     * @return the index of the child in the parent, or -1 if either
+     *   <code>child</code> or <code>parent</code> are <code>null</code>
+     * @todo Implement this javax.swing.tree.TreeModel method
+     */
+    public int getIndexOfChild(Object parent, Object child);
+
+    /**
+     * Adds a listener for the <code>TreeModelEvent</code> posted after the
+     * tree changes.
+     *
+     * @param l the listener to add
+     * @todo Implement this javax.swing.tree.TreeModel method
+     */
+    public void addTreeModelListener(TreeModelListener l);
+
+    /**
+     * Removes a listener previously added with
+     * <code>addTreeModelListener</code>.
+     *
+     * @param l the listener to remove
+     * @todo Implement this javax.swing.tree.TreeModel method
+     */
+    public void removeTreeModelListener(TreeModelListener l);
+
+}