Athens News Agency: News in English, 01-07-30

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

CONTENTS

[01] All 115 fires that broke out over past 24-hours contained by Monday

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates: Monday

[03] Weather-Sunshine forecast throughout the country Monday

[04] PM outlines government's main targets at party rally in Paros

[01] All 115 fires that broke out over past 24-hours contained by Monday

A total 115 fires, of which 71 in forest and farm land, which broke out throughout the country over the past 24 hours had all been contained by Monday morning, the Fire Brigade said.

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates: Monday

Indicative buying rates for Monday

U.S. dollar 385.507

German mark 172.829

French franc 051.531

Pound sterling 550.440

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 45.400

Swedish kroner 36.415

Finnish mark 056.852

Spanish peseta 002.032

Portuguese escudo 001.686

Japanese yen (100) 311.102

Swiss franc 224.133

Norwegian kroner 042.337

Cyprus pound 588.840

Canadian dollar 251.773

Australian dollar 195.126

[03] Weather-Sunshine forecast throughout the country Monday

The weather will be sunny throughout Greece on Monday, turning to local cloud in the north in the afternoon with chances of isolated showers in the mountainous regions. Strong northerly winds expected locally in the Aegean.

Athens will be sunny, turning to local cloud in the afternoon in the north of the Attica prefecture, with temperatures ranging from 24 to 36 C. The same in Thessaloniki, with possibility of local storms in the mountainous regions and temperatures 25-34 C.

[04] PM outlines government's main targets at party rally in Paros

Prime Minister Costas Simitis, addressing a ruling PASOK party rally at Paroikia on the island of Paros on Sunday evening, said the government wants to build a steadfast and strong Greece in Europe in the decades to come, a Greece which will not return to the past, but which will win the present and conquer the future.

"Greece in 2004 will have nothing to do with Greece in 1994, but it will also differ a great deal from 2000 Greece. Because the Greek people have given the go-ahead for change and Greece's modernisation," he said.

Simitis also referred to the government's targets which concern the country's development.

"The policy of PASOK is the guarantee that Greece shall not miss the European train of growth but, on the contrary, it will travel in a privileged position," he said.

He further stressed that building a new social state is a target for PASOK.

"The dilemma 'economic growth or a social state' is a false dilemma. We do not accept it. It is the economy that shall pay for the social state and it is the social state which will strengthen social cohesion and in this way it will safeguard economic growth," he said.

At the end of his address, Simitis referred to PASOK's October congress, saying that it will preoccupy itself with the country's future and prospects.

Earlier in the day, Simitis visited the Panagia Ekatontapyliani church on the island where he was given a guided tour by the Metropolitan of Paronaxia Amvrosios.

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