President Branko Crvenkovski and Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski's Cabinets reacted with restraint yesterday to the appeal of Nikola Dimitrov, special representative of Macedonia in the talks on the name dispute, that Macedonia continue the talks on the name on the basis of a national platform that would be accepted by all political parties in the country.

Circles close to President Crvenkovski state that the talks so far were led on the basis of a joint platform with the Government. Prime Minister Gruevski's Cabinet asked yesterday that all participants in the talks on the name refrain from misusing this situation and their position in this sensitive period.

"The prime minister and the Government have always defended Macedonia's national and state interests, and they will support every initiative in that regard," government Spokesman Ivica Bocevski stated yesterday, responding to a journalist's request that he comment on Dimitrov's statement.