Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis, who is in Brussels for the European People's Party Summit meeting and the EU Summit meeting, is expected to raise the issue in the meetings he will have with the European leaders.

Greek Foreign Minister Petros Moliviatis characterized this development as unpleasant and cancelled his trip to Brussels, while he telephoned President Kostis Stephanopoulos to brief him. He also contacted PASOK President Giorgos Papandreou, Communist Pa rty Secretary Aleka Papariga and Coalition of the Left President Nikos Konstantopoulos who is in Sofia. Greek Minister of Defense Spilios Spiliotopoulos, who is in Moscow for contacts with his Russian counterpart, briefed the Russian side.

Foreign Minister Moliviatis called US Ambassador to Athens Thomas Miller to his office and issued a strong demarche.

For the record, the negotiations between Greece and FYROM on the issue of FYROM's name are in progress and were launched after the signing of the Interim Agreement.

According to information broadcast by the Athens radio station "Flash", the recognition of FYROM is likely to take place within the day and is linked to Sunday's referendum in FYROM on the Albanian population rights.

Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Yiannis Valinakis stated that the Greek government has stated that it will cooperate with the US President regardless of who is elected in office.

The epicenter of the earthquake was located 250 kilometers southwest of Athens. The earthquake was felt in the Peloponnese, the island of Crete and the region of Athens.

Seismologists maintain that there is no cause for concern because the specific region has a high seismic activity and is regularly rocked by strong earthquakes.

In statements he made to reporters, Foreign Minister Moliviatis stated that he also pointed out to Mr. Miller the multiple negative effects that this unilateral decision by the US government will have.

Main opposition Socialist Party of PASOK press spokesman Nikos Athanasakis called on Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis to undertake an initiative for a Parliament discussion on foreign policy after it was made known that the United States have decided to recognize FYROM under the name "Republic of Macedonia".

Mr. Athanasakis stated that this is a negative development and launched a strong criticism on the government accusing it of lacking strategy. He also said that the policy followed by PASOK had averted such decisions in the past.

The Greek Communist Party commented on the US government intention to recognize FYROM unilaterally under the name "Republic of Macedonia" and stressed that the US undermines the procedure to reach a mutually acceptable solution on the FYROM name within t he framework of the United Nations.

The Communist Party mentions that the Greek people must be vigilant to face in a decisive manner the imperialist plans in the region of the Balkans.

According to available information, the Turkish F16 fighter jets came as close as 1,000 feet to the Greek passenger plane at 9:30 this morning without causing any problems for the passengers inside the plane.

The Coalition of the Left called for a meeting of the Foreign Policy Council stressing that regardless of the developments cooperation and friendship between Greece and FYROM should be strengthened.

Addressing the two-day meeting of the Greek-Bulgarian-Russian Committee on the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline project that was launched in Athens today, Mr. Sioufas pointed out that the materialization of the project is a milestone and will unite th e peoples involved for many decades. He also maintained that the construction of the oil pipeline will contribute greatly to the strengthening of friendship, cooperation and development of the three countries

Mr. Sioufas pointed out that the goal of the Greek government is the immediate promotion of the tripartite political cooperation that will put on a sound basis the materialization of the specific project.

The Minister of Development underlined that the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline can in a way be compared with the Channel Tunnel that linked France with Britain offering to the two peoples better political and economic relations.

The excuse that FYROM is collapsing cannot be acceptable and the name cannot be used as an adhesive plaster, points out the mayor of Thessaloniki.

Mr. Papageorgopoulos calls on the UN to protect its prestige, the EU to undertake initiatives for the protection of its members, the US to reconsider its position, the Greek government to remain firm to its positions concerning issues of national interes t and the Greeks living in the United States to address the US leadership on the issue.

Of the stocks trading today, 217 had gains and 68 had losses, while the value of 121 stocks remained unchanged.

Mr. Psomiadis stated that this development did not come as a surprise and underlined that the issue is national and requires the broadest possible unity. He also called on the government and the Greeks around the world to respect the decision made in the

political party leaders' meeting held in 1993 under the then Hellenic Republic President Konstantinos Karamanlis.

Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Giorgos Koumoutsakos clarified that a first response to FYROM's request for EU accession should be given by the EU in the first half of 2005, adding that this is a time framework and developments are being considered on t he way.

The Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman also conveyed the EU position, which recognizes only the name Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia based on the statements made by the Dutch Prime Minister and EU President in his meeting with Prime Minister Kostas K aramanlis and relevant statements by the German Chancellor.

On the next moves of the government, the Foreign Ministry spokesman stated that after the briefing of the President of the Hellenic Republic and the political parties by the Foreign Minister, the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense wil l convene next Wednesday to discuss the issue and the Greek government will make all necessary demarches to the United Nations.

Mr. Koumoutsakos also stated that after the Interim Agreement between Greece and FYROM in 1995 the two countries held a dialogue in New York, which in the past three years became stagnant not because of Greece's responsibility. The Greek government under took an initiative in the past 6 months for the resumption of the dialogue. This initiative led to assurances that were given to Foreign Minister Moliviatis by the FYROM political and state leadership that the dialogue will resume.

times over the island of Agathonisi and one over Fourni at an altitude of 18,000-22,000 feet.

Also, a pair of Turkish naval cooperation aircraft flew over the island of Simi at an altitude of 6,500 feet.

Greek fighter jets intercepted the Turkish aircraft forcing them to leave the Greek national airspace around 5 o'clock this afternoon.

He also stated that Athens wants the express train linking the two cities to be in operation in 2005.

The Thessaloniki-Sofia distance will be covered in 5 hours and 30 minutes, while the Greek part of the railway line is already ready and Athens will back Sofia in order to receive EU funding for the construction of the Bulgarian part of the project, whic h belongs to the European transport Corridor 4.

He pointed out that the unilateral recognition of FYROM by the US, not taking under consideration the United Nations, constitutes a negative development. He added that a solution to the FYROM name problem can only be found within the framework of the Uni ted Nations.

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