Athens News Agency: News in English, 01-01-27

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Weather Forecast-Sunday

[02] Simitis-Euro Zone-Growth

[03] Athens Bourse-Christodoulakis

[04] Prostitution-Procuring-Arrests

[05] Athens Bourse-Decline-Kaklamanis

[06] Gov't-Balkans-Environment-Conference

[07] PM-Medical Technology-Crete-Tour

[08] Weather Forecast-Saturday

[09] Foreign Exchange Rates-Monday

[01] Weather Forecast-Sunday

Cloud is forecast throughout the country on Sunday, turning to showers in many areas. Storms are also expected in the west. Winds southerly, strong to very strong, with gale force winds in parts of the Ionian and Aegean. In the north, temperatures will range from 6C to 13C; in the Ionian and on the rest of the mainland from 9C to 17C; and in the Aegean from 11C to 19C. Cloudy in Athens with temperatures between 10C and 15C. Same in Thessaloniki with temperatures from 8C to 12C.

[02] Simitis-Euro Zone-Growth

Greece should seize opportunities for growth and job creation arising from the country's entry into the euro zone earlier this month, Prime Minister Costas Simitis said on Saturday.

"We must exploit the opportunities that our membership of the euro zone affords in order to achieve further growth, full employment, social prosperity and cohesion," Simitis told a rally in the Cretan town of Rethymno during a tour of the island.

"We must not, however, allow inequalities among regions or within regions to stall the country's growth, which is why our regional policy in 2000-2006 is based on ironing out inequality," he added.

The prime minister said the government was trying to bring the standard of living in Greece closer to that of other members of the European Union.

Already in place were the framework for economic stability, a rise in living standards, and a drive towards growth in order to achieve real convergence with the EU, he added.

Simitis also outlined development projects that the government had carried out in Crete's cities and countryside.

[03] Athens Bourse-Christodoulakis

A lasting slump on the Athens Stock Exchange fails to reflect the country's healthy economic fundamentals, Development Minister Nikos Christodoulakis said.

"An image and climate of suspicion at the bourse have failed to do justice to the Greek economy, wronging the economy even more in terms of its prospects," Christodoulakis said in an interview to the Ependytis financial weekly published on Saturday.

"I believe, however, that the emphasis the government is giving to structural change and its rapid implementation, coupled with a swift absorption of Third Community Support Framework funds, will give a fresh impetus to the Greek economy, and this impetus will sooner or later be reflected in all markets," Christodoulakis said.

[04] Prostitution-Procuring-Arrests

Police in the northern town of Kavala have arrested two men for procuring after they allegedly compelled a Bulgarian woman to work as a prostitute.

The arrested were identified as Anastasios Georgoudakis, 44, the owner of the Aphrodite bar in Nestos; and Dimitrios Samaras, 40, a waiter in the same bar.

The two allegedly compelled Angelina Angelova, 37, of Bulgaria to render sexual services at 20,000 drachmas per customer.

An undercover policeman posed as a customer in the bar, handing over marked banknotes as payment to the woman, leading to the arrests.

[05] Athens Bourse-Decline-Kaklamanis

Parliament speaker Apostolos Kaklamanis on Saturday urged investors in the ailing Athens Stock Exchange to remain calm, an attitude that could help the bourse to recover from its decline.

"Only those who know anything about the stock exchange should speak, because if we all speak, we're probably not doing good," said Kaklamanis in reply to a reporter's question.

[06] Gov't-Balkans-Environment-Conference

The public works ministry is helping to fund an international programme that monitors environmental management in the Balkans, Deputy Public Works Minister Ilias Efthymiopoulos said on Saturday.

Efthymiopoulos was opening a conference in Athens on international cooperation in the Balkan, Black Sea, southeastern Mediterranean and Caspian regions to improve the environment and develop town planning and sustainable development.

He said that upsetting the region were conflict and foreign intervention, while Greece's role in the envonmental programme was based on arriving at consensus and could not be construed as imperialist.

Speakers presented the findings of 22 studies carried out by research teams as part of the ministry's inter-state DAC-OECD programme, which includes the use of alternative energy and measures to combat pollution in the Balkans.

The speakers also underlined the need for environmental training, publicity programmes and consciousness raising schemes for the public.

[07] PM-Medical Technology-Crete-Tour

Prime Minister Costas Simitis said in Crete on Saturday that the government's new health bill aimed to offer quality healthcare while cutting costs.

"The use of modern technology in the provision of medical data and applications is especially important. We aim to offer quality medical treatment and care in Crete and throughout Greece," Simitis told reporters during a visit to a prefecture hospital in Rethymno.

"The new law on the National Health System that the government is advancing will increase services to the public and reduce spending," he said.

The prime minister, who is touring Crete, attended a presentation of telemedicine at the hospital.

Earlier, Simitis said the government planned to boost growth in the regions.

"I hope that the next time I visit Crete, the island will have prospered further and that people's demands will be fewer," he told residents.

[08] Weather Forecast-Saturday

Cloud is forecast throughout the country on Saturday, turning to showers in the west, centre, north and eastern Aegean islands. Storms are also expected in the west. Winds southerly, strong to very strong, with gale force winds in parts of the Ionian and Aegean. In the north, temperatures will range from 5C to 12C; in the Ionian and on the rest of the mainland from 8C to 16C; and in the Aegean from 10C to 18C. Showers likely in Athens with temperatures between 10C and 16C. Showers in Thessaloniki with temperatures from 8C to 12C.

[09] Foreign Exchange Rates-Monday

Monday's buying rates

U.S. dollar 366.319

German mark 172.829

French franc 051.531

Pound sterling 535.273

Irish punt 429.202

Belgian franc 008.379

Luxembourg franc 008.379

Dutch guilder 153.389

Italian lira (100) 017.457

Austrian schilling 024.565

Danish kroner 045.299

Swedish kroner 037.951

Finnish mark 056.852

Spanish peseta 002.032

Portuguese escudo 001.686

Japanese yen (100) 313.881

Swiss franc 221.251

Norwegian kroner 041.172

Cyprus pound 584.446

Canadian dollar 243.566

Australian dollar 198.341

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