Based on the opinion polls conducted during the past week, New Democracy is at 41-41.6%, PASOK at 33-33.9%, the Communist Party at 7-7.9%, Coalition of the Left at 4-4.3%, and LAOS at 2-2.9%.

According to an opinion poll conducted by the MRB opinion poll, most fit to be a Prime Minister is Kostas Karamanlis with 50.6%, while 35.2% prefers Giorgos Papandreou.

Based on the "Metron Analysis" opinion poll, Kostas Karamanlis is most fit for the post of the Prime Minister with 46.6%, while 36.1% prefers Giorgos Papandreou.

Archbishop Christodoulos submitted the specific proposal taking under consideration the risk for a split in the hierarchy and a social disruption.

The Archbishop also referred to the mediation undertaken by Minister of Education and Religion Mrs. Giannakou to find a way out of the deadlock between the Church of Greece and the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Archbishop Christodoulos clarified that the Ecum enical Patriarchate asked Mrs. Giannakou to call on the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece to accept the specific proposal.

Mrs. Frechette will make the opening speech and will refer to the UN cooperation with the European institutions to meet the Millennium Development Goals agreed upon by 189 countries in the UN Millennium Conference in 2000.

Mrs. Frechette will be accompanied by UN officials, among them UN Fund for International Partnership, UNFIP, Director Mr. Amir Dossal.

In the meeting they will present the activities undertaken so far, while they will also draw up a strategic plan for the period 2004-2010. The SAE presiding board will also meet with government and local officials.

The government spokesman also referred to the issue of the participation of journalists in the debate, stating that he does not support exclusions.

The island of Rhodes in southeastern Aegean has the most "Blue Flag" awards a total of 39, followed by Chalkidiki, northern Greece with 32 and Lasithi, Crete with 31.

Beaches and marines receive the "Blue Flag" award if the seawater is clean, the beaches are clean and well organized, the visitors are safe, and the environment is protected.

Of the stocks trading today, 202 had gains and 94 had losses, while the value of 89 stocks remained unchanged.

In today's proceedings, the delegates will decide on the action plan for the next three years and prepare the resolutions that will be issued. The world congress is organized in cooperation with the Association of the Daily Newspaper Editors in Athens.

The International Federation of Journalists will elect its institutional bodies tomorrow. For the first time this year there is a Greek candidate to the Executive Committee namely, Athens Association of Daily Newspaper Editors general secretary Nikos Meg relis.

Mr. De Soto stated that the UN Security Council backs the creation of a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation for the past 25 years and added that it will be assessed if this is the desirable solution. He stressed that the efforts for the solution of the Cypr us problem should never stop, adding that the Turkish Cypriots show that they want the reunification of the island and Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos has stated that he wants to help the Turkish Cypriots to overcome their problems and difficulties.

Responding to the question if the presence of Rauf Denktash is a thorn to the solution of the Cyprus problem, he said that the Turkish Cypriot leader has left things in the hands of Mehmet Ali Talat and Serdar Denktash and that he tried to impose his vie ws to the Turkish Cypriots but they were not persuaded as 65% voted in favor of the Annan Plan.

Mr. De Soto pointed out that with the Annan Plan no side, neither the Greek Cypriots nor the Turkish Cypriots, was going to get everything it had asked for because the plan was a compromise.

He stated that it was disappointing that things did not come to a desirable conclusion but at the same time, he stressed that he does not believe that the efforts made for so long was a waste of time.

Commenting on the rumors according to which, the future of the UN forces in Cyprus is uncertain, he stated that the UN Secretary-General will present to the UN Security Council a report and will ask for a six-month extension to their presence on the isla nd.

They also decided to hold a business forum in Thessaloniki on November 5 and 6 with the participation of businessmen active in the tourist sector. The forum will be held within the framework of the "Philoxenia 2004" Exhibition.

Mr. Liaskos had also a meeting with Bulgarian Minister of Finance Milen Veltchev within the framework of the 1st Greek-Bulgarian Business Forum proceedings.

The Bulgarian minister briefed Mr. Liaskos and all the Greeks participating in the forum that starting on January 1, 2005 taxation on businesses in Bulgaria will be cut down to 15% from 19.5%, a fact that will facilitate the further development of busine ss partnerships.

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