STATE DEPT LAUGHING : THE TRUE FACE OF THOSE WHO WANT MACEDONIANS ERADICATED

The following was passed on to us by our Washington DC-contacts, yesterday afternoon....

STATE DEPARTMENT REGULAR BRIEFING BRIEFER: TOM CASEY

STATE DEPARTMENT REGULAR BRIEFING BRIEFER: TOM CASEY, DEPARTMENT DEPUTY SPOKESMAN LOCATION: STATE DEPARTMENT BRIEFING ROOM, WASHINGTON, D.C. TIME:
1:59 P.M. EST DATE: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2008

Yeah, Mr. Lambros.

Q On FYROM, Mr. Casey, in response to an obvious fabricated front-page story regarding FYROM, published yesterday in Athens by the Greek daily K-a-t-h-i-m-e-r-i-n-i -- dispatched also by Athens News Agency, DOS officer in charge for European Affairs, Chase Beamer, stated, quote, "There is no State Department plan, as suggested in some press reports. We continue to encourage both sides to seek agreement on the name dispute, under the auspices of U.N.-led talks. We support U.N. mediator Nimitz's efforts. We will support any compromise agreed by the parties," unquote. Any additional comment?


MR. CASEY: No, that sounds about right to me. (Laughs.)

Q One follow-up: What do you mean with a compromise, since you mentioned that too, the other day, answering to question of mine, within the UN or out of the U.N.

MR. CASEY: Well, Mr. Lambros, basically, as you know, this is an issue that has a great deal of emotion attached to it, both in Macedonia and in Greece. The main point is, there is this negotiation process under way. I know Mr. Nimitz has put forward a new proposal of his own to the group. Hopefully that can be the basis for the two of them to reach an agreement.

But in terms of our view, as long as their is an outcome, and as long as there is an agreement that is acceptable to both parties, we will be pleased and happy to support that, when and if it occurs.