The event will be held on August 18, 2004, and will be watched by 15,000 people.

Mrs. Aggelopoulou presented the progress of Olympic preparations to the Executive Committee. The IOC unanimously approved the schedule of the torch race.

He also stressed that this action will "contribute to the further development of relations between the two countries".

On Tuesday, deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Loverdos will travel to Skopje to make the decision official.

In the margin of the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting, being held in Brussels, Mr. Papandreou met with FYROM Foreign Minister, Ilinka Mitreva.

the European course of Turkey. "The European course of Turkey serves our national interests, security in the region and financial development", stated Athens. There are certain circles within the EU that are against Turkey's membership to the EU, stated Turkish Foreign Minister Ab. Gul.

Of the stocks trading today, 92 had gains and 203 recorded losses, while the value of 87 stocks remained unchanged.

Opening the conference proceedings, Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Charis Kastanidis referred to the problems that will not be solved by digital technology, stressing that digital technology will never put aside the human factor, underlining that the respe ct toward the people and the broadcast of truth are issues faced by the Mass Media that will never be solved by digital technology.

MPA General Director Spiros Kouzinopoulos stated that the Balkan Mass Media by exploiting the potential offered by new technologies and the Internet can contribute to the great affair of the European integration.

MPA Board of Directors President Paraskevas Paraskevopoulos pointed out that everything has changed in the past 20 years as a result of the technological development.

Athens News Agency Editing Director Nikolaos Voulelis stated that digital technology can erase borders and bring people closer but at the same time, it creates questions like "Is this true for all the people in the world?"

Mr. Bletsas referred to the progress made in the past years regarding the spread of Internet, stressing that it is the most rapidly developing communication medium in the history of mankind. Already, there are about 700 million people using the Internet and the lion's share belongs to Western Europe and North America.

The Internet has changed form in the past years through the introduction of the so-called broadband links, a sector in which the Balkans are behind compared to the rest of the world, said Mr. Bletsas.

In statements he made on the sidelines of the conference, he also referred to the electronic paper and stated that it needs five more years to be fully developed and used, while it is already in the production stage.

Mr. Papanreou, from Brussels, stressed that that vision is becoming reality today, with EU integration and the participation of the Balkans.

"This vision serves our interests and security. This vision is supported by the vast majority of the Greek people. This visions serves the government consistently and successfully", underlined the Foreign Minister.

"There are certain circles that are against the accession of Turkey to the EU for religious or ideological reasons", stated from Brussels Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, when called to comment on the statements of Archbishop Christodoulos on Turke y's European course.

As the Anadolu Turkish news agency transmitted, Mr. Gul underlined that "there are certain circles within the EU that are against Turkey becoming a full member of the EU", and he added that "this is natural in a democratic entity".

"These circles may be against Turkey's accession for religious or ideological reasons. However, the majority supports Turkey's accession", he noted.

He pointed out that the Turkish side will do anything to find a final solution to they Cyprus issue, while he added that this should not only be expected of Turkey, as there are two sides to the Cyprus issue.

He also stressed that the solution of the Cyprus issue is not a criterion for Turkey's accession to the EU. "The solution will create a positive atmosphere, but no one has the right to set it as a prerequisite".

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