The Dutch Prime Minister and European Council President assured Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis, who raised the issue in the EU Summit meeting underway in Brussels, that for the time being the EU policy will not change.

Hellenic Republic President Kostis Stephanopoulos expressed the disappointment of the Greek people in the congratulatory telegram he sent to US President Bush on the occasion of his reelection in office.

Opposition Socialist Party of PASOK President Giorgos Papandreou spoke of government responsibility and stated characteristically that the US decision was a slap in the face for the government causing the government's response, which accused Mr. Papandre ou of telling lies.

"I said what I had to say when I should have and now I am sorry about what is going on", said former Prime Minister and honorary President of New Democracy Konstantinos Mitsotakis.

Celebrations in Skopje after the US decision. President Chervenkovski said that it was a historic day.

United States.

The Greeks abroad warned that dynamic mobilizations will take place at every level in cooperation with the Greek government.

The Greek community in Melbourne, Victoria called on the Australian government not to change its position and expressed indignation after the unilateral US decision.

Greek Minister of Agricultural Development Evangelos Basiakos pointed out that no import of animal feed suspect of being contaminated by dioxins took place and the only imports were animal feed supplements (vitamins, trace elements and mineral salts) mak ing up only 2% of the animal feed composition.

The National Food Control Agency, EFET, suggested to the Greek consumers to avoid consuming dairy products and potatoes from Holland, Germany and Belgium for 10 days after the nutritional crisis that alarmed Europe. The new scandal erupted when the cance r-causing dioxin was traced in animal feed used in a total of 162 farms in Holland, Germany and Belgium.

Mr. Koumoutsakos said to the Greek state-run television station NET that Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis had raised the issue during his visit to the United States, Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Valinakis had contacts with US mediator Mathew Nimitz an d Foreign Minister Petros Moliviatis has visited Skopje. He pointed out that the Greek position was to reactivate the dialogue between Greece and FYROM aimed at finding a mutually acceptable solution to the issue of the FYROM name.

Mr. Papageorgopoulos stated in a press conference today that he is ready for everything, even mass rallies, under the precondition that New Democracy and PASOK will reach a joint decision and there will be an agreement of the representatives of the two m ajor political parties in the Thessaloniki City Council

On the occasion of the developments in the issue of the FYROM name, he commented that another battle was lost but the war is still on and Greece can win because it has the weapons to do that.

He also stressed that the FYROM accession into the EU and NATO demands unanimity of the existing members and the Greek government will not agree if there is no mutually acceptable solution.

Regarding the visit of the Greek Prime Minister to the US last May, he stated that he was not aware of the imminent change in the position of the US on the issue of the FYROM name.

On the statements by Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece concerning mass protest rallies, he stated that calm should prevail adding, however, that everybody has the right to express his own views.

Of the stocks trading today, 245 had gains and 58 had losses, while the value of 103 stocks remained unchanged.

Mr. Papandreou points out, among others, that moves like the recent unilateral recognition of FYROM by the US under a name different than the one under which it became a UN member, based on resolution 817/93, cannot be interpreted as contributing to meet ing the goal of lasting stability and prosperity in the region.

Mr. Papandreou adds that the Greek people are justified to regard this decision as wrong, it ignores the Greek positions and finally, it does not contribute to the stabilization of the wider region, a region sensitive where prudence and equal participati on of all sides are very important.

Mr. Karamanlis criticized the previous government saying that mistakes have been made and stressed that self-control and caution are necessary. He also called for the support of all political parties in the efforts to face the issue that has arisen.

The Prime Minister briefed the EU leaders and EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, CFSP, Javier Solana. He assured the Greek people that he will make every effort to find a solution and the government will give its best to r each a mutually acceptable solution to the FYROM name issue.

In the following days, Foreign Minister Petros Moliviatis will brief the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense and if it is necessary, in case steps have been made, a meeting of the Political Party Leaders Council will take place.

Responding to the question why the government did not make any moves based on indications that the US government was about to proceed with the recognition of FYROM under the name "Republic of Macedonia" he said that policy cannot be drawn up based on ind ications. However, he observed that since last spring he had made Greece's sensitivity on the issue clear when he visited the United States, while Foreign Minister Petros Moliviatis had also raised the issue in the talks he had with his FYROM counterpart.

He said that the Greek government succeeded in early September in having the Greek position included in an EU text and, therefore, become an EU position but it chose not to gloat about it.

Mr. Karamanlis said that the US decision to unilaterally recognize FYROM under the name "Republic of Macedonia" is wrong, pointless and unfortunate, while he refused to comment on moves aimed at holding mass rallies in Greece and said that self-control a nd caution are necessary.

He said that the government brought back on its agenda the issue of FYROM since last summer and contacts and discussions took place in the UN and FYROM. Also, the special UN envoy had received Greece's assurance that it wants the issue to stop being stag nant and to be solved.

Mr. Karamanlis stated that already in a letter by the Dutch Foreign Minister to FYROM it is clearly stressed that the name accepted by the EU is Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. He said that Greece will make every effort to reach a solution that wi ll satisfy the Greeks and mostly, will create preconditions of stability and good neighborly relations in the region. The EU position on FYROM is that in order to be able to become an EU member it should first agree with Greece on a mutually acceptable solution to the issue of the name, said Mr. Karamanlis.

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