Main opposition PASOK leader George Papandreou had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis on Monday, according to a party announcement.

Papandreou requested a meeting with Karamanlis for talks on the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's (FYROM) "name issue". The meeting has been arranged for Tuesday morning , the announcement added.

Another PASOK announcement issued on Monday said that Papandreou had also a telephone conversation with U.S. ambassador to Greece Daniel Speckhard, to whom he reiterated the party's "clear position regarding Skopje's name issue, that is, a composite name with a geographical qualifier for all uses without exception. A clearcut 'No" to any form of double name."

"The PASOK president expressed his opposition to the position being expressed by then U.S. on the Skopje's name issue in view of the NATO Summit in Bucharest and more so regarding the pressures being exerted on Greece, asking U.S. support for the Greek positions," the announcement added.

The PASOK leader "underlined the fact that Greece has met in all circumstances its obligations in the framework of the Alliance and bilateral relations, citing as an example the operation of the Souda base. These obligations, however, the PASOK leader underlined, are mutual and Greece expects respect to its positions and interests from the U.S.A. as well," the announcement further said.

"This U.S stance towards Greece and its interests is being justifiably considered by the Greek people as erroneous. It disregards Greek positions and does not contribute, at the end, to stabilisation in the broader region," the announcement concluded. 

Source: Athens News Agency

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