Government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos confirmed on Monday that Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis had been invited to visit Moscow.  He said, however, that nothing was definite yet, and arrangements are still being discussed through diplomatic channels.

He denied any knowledge of plans to sign an agreement for the construction of a new fuel pipeline between Greece and Russia during the visit.

In response to questions about the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and possible US involvement in a solution of the name dispute with Greece, the spokesman stressed that Greece's foreign policy was consistent, stable, and used strategies that brought results. He also indicated that Athens wanted the process underway at the United Nations so that they can to continue the search for a solution to the name issue.

"We want a solution to the problem-- neither acceleration [of the process] nor a freeze. A solution to the problem within the framework of the UN," he emphasized.

He also rejected suggestions that the prime minister and Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis were sending out mixed messages about what a "geographical qualifier" meant in the framework of the FYROM name dispute.

Source: Athens News Agency

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