Athens News Agency: News in English, 01-02-01

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

CONTENTS

[01] European Network of Renewables-Professor Agoris

[02] Cabinet-PM Simitis-2004 Olympiad-Venizelos

[03] FM Papandreou-Belkhadem-Meeting

[04] ECB-foreign exchange

[05] Missing Fla. teen - Found - Thessaloniki (adds US embassy)

[06] Novabank-report

[07] ASE-close

[08] Panafon-Vodafone-international rates

[01] European Network of Renewables-Professor Agoris

The European Network of Renewables (EnR) during a meeting of its administrative council at Seville, Spain, on January 26, elected as its president assistant professor Dimosthenis Agoris, president of Greece's Centre of Renewable Sources of Energy (KAPE).

The event proves recognition on the part of the European Union's EnR national energy centres of the work being done in Greece for renewable sources of energy and KAPE's role in sectors such as in the aeolic, solar and hudro-electric sectors, sources said.

Agoris will proceed in forming a team for strategic planning which will convene in Lisbon in April.

[02] Cabinet-PM Simitis-2004 Olympiad-Venizelos

Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Thursday called for the intensification of efforts to achieve a speedier and more effective preparation of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games during a marathon cabinet meeting.

According to reports, Simitis warned his ministers of possible complacency and called on relevant ministers, including Public Works Minister Costas Laliotis and Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos, to brief the cabinet on their actions and their ministries' planning for the preparation of the Olympiad and in light of a new visit to Athens by an International Olympic Committee (IOC) delegation on February 15.

Venizelos said after the cabinet meeting that in organising the Olympic Games "our country's ability is being put to the test" and termed the Olympiad a paramount undertaking for the modernisation of Greece.

He said "the Olympic Games are not only projects, as is mistakenly being noted", adding that they are something more "there are telecommunications, marketing, new technologies, volunteerism, training, culture and, above all, sports preparation."

Venizelos also said the 2004 Olympic Games do not concern the Attica basin alone but all of Greece and referred to the programme "Greece 2004" concerning sports infrastructures all over the country and costing 300 billion drachmas which will be covered by the 3rd Community Support Framework.

[03] FM Papandreou-Belkhadem-Meeting

Foreign Minister George Papandreou and his Algerian counterpart Abdelaziz Belkhadem on Thursday discussed the preparation of Algerian President Abdelaziz Buteflika's visit to Greece in the coming months. Belkhadem praised bilateral political relations and expressed the wish that "economic relations will reach the corresponding level."

Papandreou said relations between the two countries are excellent, adding that he and Belkhadem discussed agreements to be promoted in the coming months with the purpose of having them signed during the Algerian president's visit to Greece.

The agreements concern avoidance of double taxation, cooperation in shipping, tourist cooperation and assistance for transportation between the two countries, while the Algerian foreign minister announced that a joint business council will be created shortly.

Apart from bilateral relations, the two foreign ministers discussed issues regarding relations between the European Union and Algeria and the Barcelona process on Euro-Mediterranean cooperation.

Papandreou, commenting on the situation in Presevo in southern Serbia, said he has constant consultations with all the sides involved and with important international officials.

In parallel, specific proposals are being processed concerning the region's security and surveillance both by KFOR and the Yugoslav authorities.

[04] ECB-foreign exchange

The European Central Bank set its euro/dollar reference rate at 94.06 cents on Thursday, up from 92.67 the previous day, pushing the US dollar/drachma rate to 362.26 drachmas.

The ECB also set the euro/yen rate at 108.70 yen (3.13 drachmas), the euro/sterling rate at 63.71 pence (534.84 drachmas), the euro/Swiss franc at 1.5327 francs (222.32 drachmas) and the euro/Cyprus pound rate at 57.93 cents (588.20 drachmas).

[05] Missing Fla. teen - Found - Thessaloniki (adds US embassy)

A 15-year-old Florida girl reported missing since late August -- apparently lured to Greece by a man she met on the Internet -- has been found in the northern port city of Thessaloniki after a large-scale police search and extensive local media coverage.

According to police on Thursday, Lindsay Erin Shamrock was found late Wednesday night in an apartment in Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. She was taken the city's police headquarters until procedures for her return to the United States are completed.

However, police said they had not located a 35-year-old German-Greek national and permanent Thessaloniki resident who is accused of luring the minor to Greece after meeting her on the Internet.

[06] Novabank-report

Novabank on Thursday reported hefty figures for the first three months of its operation, exceeding the board's forecasts.

The bank's assets totalled 258 billion drachmas, funds under management exceeded 210 billion, credits totalled 9.0 billion drachmas, credit cards totalled 19,000 while customers reached 40,000 in the first three months of the bank's operation.

The bank's general manager, Yiannis Pehlivanidis, unveiled during a press conference the bank's plans for the current year.

The programme envisages raising its network to 95, from 48 currently, covering areas beyond Athens and Thessaloniki, and to reach 120 branches around Greece in the next two years.

Pehlivanidis said this year's investments would exceed 10 billion drachmas.

Novabank was focusing on housing loans, he said.

He presented a bank survey which revealed that Novabank was the third most identifiable private bank in the country with a rate of 88 percent, and the second preference choice to bank customers. The survey also found that 71 percent of its customers were between 25-55 years old, exactly the target group the bank was aiming for.

[07] ASE-close

Equity prices ended lower on Thursday reversing a two-day rally which pushed the general index 7.23 percent higher on the Athens Stock Exchange.

Traders described the correction as a healthy reaction of the market and noted that selling orders were easily absorbed throughout the session.

The general index ended 0.52 percent lower at 3,247.87 points, off the day's lows of 3,228.25 points. Turnover was an improved 271.20 million euros, or 92.412 billion drachmas.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended 0.59 percent higher at 1,893.83 points, and the FTSE/ASE 40 index eased 0.47 percent to 339.89 points.

The parallel market index for smaller capitalisation stocks ended 2.25 percent higher at 266.75 points.

[08] Panafon-Vodafone-international rates

Panafon-Vodafone, Greece's largest mobile operator measured on customer base, on Thursday announced new international call rates based on new geographical distribution of countries.

The company said it would include all European countries in zone 1, all countries in the American continent in zone 2, Asia and Oceania in zone 3 and Africa in zone 4.

A company statement said changes were aiming to achieve simpler international calls cost. The new rates are effective from April 1, 2001.

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