Athens News Agency: News in English, 01-02-21

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

CONTENTS

[01] Cyprus-Greece-"Thrace-Aegean-Cyprus" Programme

[02] ECB: Euro-Dollar-Drachma

[03] Weather Forecast-Thursday

[04] PM - FM - Balkan Summit

[05] ASE-close

[01] Cyprus-Greece-"Thrace-Aegean-Cyprus" Programme

NICOSIA (ANA) - Minister of Macedonia and Thrace George Paschalidis and Minister of the Aegean Nikos Sifounakis, ending a visit to Cyprus on Wednesday, said Greece and Cyprus agreed to strengthen and upgrade their cooperation in the framework of the "Thrace-Aegean-Cyprus" programme.

They said this was the conclusion reached during their contacts with Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and Finance Minister Takis Clerides, at whose invitation the visit took place, as well as with other government officials.

Sifounakis said it was agreed that other sectors will be included in cooperation in the future, apart from those of culture and the environment.

Commenting on the new base being created by the Turks in Izmir, on the west coast of Turkey, Sifounakis said the issues of importance were those of peace in the region, the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus and the reunification of the island.

The two ministers were on the island to attend a meeting of the joint Greece-Cyprus evaluation committee of the "Thrace-Aegean-Cyprus" programme that examined 330 proposals from 115 organisations relating to the promotion of education, culture, and the environment of Thrace, the Aegean and Cyprus.

[02] ECB: Euro-Dollar-Drachma

The euro on Wednesday stood at 91.46 cents against the US dollar from 90.70 cents a day earlier, according to reference rates released by the European Central Bank (ECB).

The parity gives an implied rate of 372.56 drachmas versus the US currency, the ECB said in a routine statement.

Greece joined the euro zone on January 1.

[03] Weather Forecast-Thursday

Scattered cloud is forecast throughout the country on Thursday, turning to showers in the southern Cyclades, Crete and the Dodecanese islands. Winds west-northwesterly, moderate to strong, turning very strong in the southern Ionian. In the north, temperatures will range from -4C to 10C; on the rest of the mainland from 0C to 13C; and in the islands from 6C to 14C. Scattered cloud in Athens with temperatures between 5C and 14C. Same in Thessaloniki, with temperatures from 0C to 10C.

[04] PM - FM - Balkan Summit

The government reiterated on Wednesday that no new developments were expected at this week's Balkan Summit regarding an unresolved dispute with the neighbouring Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) over that republic's adopted name.

Emerging from a working meeting with Prime Minister Costas Simitis, during which they had discussed foreign policy issues in view of the Summit meeting in Skopje on Thursday and Friday, Foreign Minister George Papandreou told reporters that Athens was open to discussion on this issue, as proved by ongoing UN-mediated talks to find a solution, but did not expect radical developments at this time.

Papandreou said that Greece planned to present proposals to restore stability in southern Serbia, while the Skopje summit's agenda also took in economic cooperation and the possible repercussions for public health of depleted uranium.

Diplomatic sources said the prime minister and Papandreou discussed recent developments in Turkey, in view of a meeting between Papandreou and his Turkish counterpart Ismail Cem on the sidelines of the Balkan Summit.

They also claimed that the issue of FYROM's name had been discussed, in view of meetings between Simitis and Papandreou and their FYROM counterparts, Ljubco Georgievski and Sergan Kerim.

[05] ASE-close

Equity prices ended Wednesday's session sharply lower on the Athens Stock Exchange as waves of profit taking reversed a 10-day rally in the market pushing the general index below the 3,200 level.

Analysts said they were worried over the extend of Wednesday's fall, which was attributed to the closing of open positions in the Greek market and a trend to take early profits.

The general index ended 2.42 percent lower at 3,191.85 points, near the day's lows of 3,183.07 points. Turnover was a low 145.69 million euros, or 49.642 billion drachmas.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended 2.36 percent down to 1,840.40 points, and the FTSE/ASE 40 index fell 4.02 percent to 362.46 points.

The parallel market index for smaller capitalisation stocks plunged 4.67 percent to 293.69 points.

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