Athens News Agency: News in English, 01-03-30

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

CONTENTS

[01] Thessaloniki-Prodi-Arrival

[02] Genscher-Greece-Balkans-EU-interview

[03] Exercise-"Cornerstone 2001"

[04] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

[05] Gov't - FM licenses - Athens area

[06] Weather Forecast-Saturday

[07] ASE-close

[01] Thessaloniki-Prodi-Arrival

European Commission President Romano Prodi arrived in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, on Friday to attend Saturday's events commemorating the 20th anniversary of Greece's accession to the European Union.

Prodi was welcomed at Macedonia airport by Minister of Macedonia and Thrace George Paschalidis and Deputy Foreign Minister Elizabeth Papazoi.

In a statement on arrival at the airport, Prodi praised Greece's contribution to the EU and expressed pleasure over his participation in the events.

On his part, Paschalidis expressed the hope that Cyprus will be a full EU member by 2003.

Saturday's events will be attended by Prime Minister Costas Simitis, while main opposition New Democracy party leader Costas Karamanlis will also be making an address.

[02] Genscher-Greece-Balkans-EU-interview

BERLIN (ANA P. Stangos) - Former German Foreign Minister Hans Dietrich Genscher on Friday suggested that heed should be paid to Greeces opinions on developments in the Balkans, as the country has special knowledge of the region.

Speaking to the Greek language programme of the German radio station ?Deutsche Welle?, he congratulated Greece on the twentieth anniversary of its entry to the European Union and voiced the advice that ?special attention should be paid to Greeces opinions? regarding developments in the Balkans.

He added ?Greece has an extraordinary understanding of the conditions in its neighbouring region?, adding that the European Union summit message that the borders and territorial integrity of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) should be secured, was very important.

During the interview he lauded the efforts of Greek statesmen of the past that worked hard for Greeces accession to the EU, and called the entry to the Eurozone as the crowning of those efforts.

[03] Exercise-"Cornerstone 2001"

The engineers corps exercise codenamed "Cornerstone 2001" will take place on the Milot river, in northern Albania, from April 6 to July 31 and is part of the multinational force of southeastern Europe's activities.

The purpose of the exercise is to develop cooperation between the engineers corps of participating countries, as well as the building of a road two kilometres long.

Greece will participate with an engineers company for peace missions which will leave for Albania on April 2.

[04] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

Monday's buying rates

U.S. dollar 382.736

German mark 172.829

French franc 051.531

Pound sterling 545.907

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 45.295

Swedish kroner 36.914

Finnish mark 056.852

Spanish peseta 002.032

Portuguese escudo 001.686

Japanese yen (100) 305.249

Swiss franc 221.352

Norwegian kroner 41.953

Cyprus pound 583.936

Canadian dollar 243.115

Australian dollar 186.161

[05] Gov't - FM licenses - Athens area

The government on Friday ruled out the possibility of increasing the number of FM radio licenses for the greater Athens area, after a week-long ?mini media furor? erupted from the closure of around 50 local radio stations days earlier.

Government spokesman and Mass Media Minister Dimitris Reppas, at the centre of contentious deliberations throughout the week, announced during a press conference that the issue of frequencies ?isnt the product of a political decision, but a technical matter?.

?Thats why were remaining at the number of 28 frequencies, just as relevant agencies have decided,? he said.

Asked about press reports citing the possibility of a 35-frequency ceiling in the greater Athens area, Reppas said ?no such proposal has been tabled with us because the press and mass media ministry isnt responsible. Any other study must be worked out by international agencies ... international coordination is necessary ... this occurred with the study, which led to a specific mapping of the frequencies,? he added.

The heated issue controlling the chaotic radio airwaves over the Greek capital was transferred to the floor of Parliament on Friday, only days after dozens of FM radio stations -- ranging from a few commercially robust stations to a large number of small and even ?staff-less? operators were shut down.

[06] Weather Forecast-Saturday

Rain and storms are forecast throughout the country on Saturday, turning to snow on high ground in the north and centre. Winds variable, very strong to gale force. In the north, temperatures will range from 4C to 14C; on the rest of the mainland and in the Ionian from 9C to 17C; and in the Aegean islands from 11C to 18C. Rain and storms in Athens, with temperatures between 11C and 16C. Rain in Thessaloniki, with temperatures from 9C to 13C.

[07] ASE-close

Equity prices ended lower on Friday reversing a three-day decline on the Athens Stock Exchange, with the general index ending the week near the critical 3,050 support-level.

Traders said buying interest focused on investment stocks following an ASE board decision to end a policy of readjusting a share price after dividend payment. The new measure will take effect from Monday, 2 April.

Traders said investment stocks were likely to benefit from the measure because they offered higher dividend returns.

Telecoms' shares also attracted buying interest with Hellenic Telecoms rising 2.99 percent.

The general index ended 1.03 percent higher at 3,044.55 points, off the day's highs of 3,050.22 points. Turnover was a low 156.24 million euros, or 53.24 billion drachmas.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended 0.6 percent up at 1,745.29 points, and the FTSE/ASE 40 index jumped 1.38 percent higher to 371,24 points.

The parallel market index for smaller capitalisation stocks ended 0.65 percent higher at 332.30.

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