Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-01-10

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

CONTENTS

[01] Ecumenical Patriarch to begin historic visit to Iran on Friday

[02] Annan hopes for a general framework for Cyprus solution by June,

[03] No tax on internet cafe computers, gov't says

[04] Gov't promises OA deal by end of January

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

[06] Mixed drachma-euro armed robbery in Athens

[07] Weather Forecast: Fair weather on Friday

[08] Greek stocks end up on Thursday

[09] Govt denies Greek role in US maps without nautical boundaries in Aegean

[10] Greek inflation jumps to 3.0 percent in December

[01] Ecumenical Patriarch to begin historic visit to Iran on Friday

ISTANBUL (ANA A. Kourkoulas) Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos I is to depart for a historic four-day official visit to Iran on Friday, the first by a leader of a Christian Church since Iran underwent the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

During his visit from Jan. 11-14, Patriarch Vartholomeos is to meet Islamic Revolution Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and other Iranian officials.

Iran is the second Muslim nation, following Bahrain, to issue an official invitation to the Ecumenical Patriarch.

Vartholomeos, the 'first among equals' among Orthodox Patriarchs and representing 250 million Orthodox faithful around the world, will address the Tehran diplomatic corps on "The contribution of religion in establishing peace in the modern world" and also meet a delegation of the Inter-Religious Dialogue Centre.

Vartholomeos visit to predominately Shiite Iran comes three weeks after a high-profile meeting of the three major monotheistic religions in Brussels - Islam, Christianity and Judaism that was attended by several well-known clerics from the Muslim world and aimed to increase cooperation and understanding among religious faiths.

During his visit, the Ecumenical Patriarch will hold a liturgy at the Greek Orthodox church in Tehran, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and also visit Isfahan.

Some observers hailed the Patriarch's visit to Iran as coming at an important juncture, in which the country was emerging from its long isolation and pressures for reform were becoming stronger after the events of Sept. 11 and the geopolitical climate these had created.

[02] Annan hopes for a general framework for Cyprus solution by June, Simitis says

NEW YORK (ANA/M.Georgiadou) - UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan believes that by the end of June there will be a general framework for a settlement of the Cyprus issue, Prime Minister Costas Simitis told journalists after a meeting he had with the UN chief at the UN headquarters in New York on Wednesday.

"I want to stress that Mr. Annan told me that he believes that we can head towards a solution of the Cyprus problem, that he had fixed a deadline within which the possibility of a settlement should be clearly seen, and that some basic directions could materialise by the end of June. He stated that they themselves (the UN) as well will contribute with ideas, given that the two sides embark on negotiations. Mr. Annan has decided that talks (between Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash) should be carried on an intensive pace, and the two sides to meet about three times a week," Simitis told journalists in his introductory statement.

"I drew his attention and reminded to him the difficulties during negotiations in the past years and the fact that they bore no results. But I also noted that there is a positive development, that old positions were abandoned, that is the (Turkish-Cypriot side's) positions that one does not hold talks with the other, that Mr. Denktash has at long last made the step he ought to have made. The symbolism of gestures has great significance. At present, symbolisms are positive," Simitis added.

The prime minister, citing the relevant decisions of the European Commission, reiterated that Cyprus' accession to the European Union will take place in 2003, regardless of a settlement of the Cyprus issue. He noted however that its settlement will make Cyprus' EU entry more easy. He added that a solution should be strived for as soon as possible.

The journalists asked questions to Simitis concerning the confrontation of terrorism and the security of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, particularly in view of Simitis's meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush on Thursday.

He said President Bush knows very well that Greece is with the Americans and on the side of the world which has decided to confront terrorism. He added that Greece sent humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, offered to participate in the peacekeeping force and offered facilities for flights and for the refuelling of American aircraft.

With regard to the Olympic Games, the prime minister was categorical, stating that there was no doubt on the issue of security of the Games as Greece, even before the terrorists attacks in the United States on September 11, planned secure Games, something which continues to exist.

Simitis said there was cooperation since 1998 with members of the FBI and the British secret services, which has concluded in a report and the developments have continuing roads which are based to their contribution as well.

Replying to another question, on Greek-Turkish relations and claims by Ankara, Simitis, having first reminded the journalists of the declaration at the EU Helsinki summit, stressed that for Greece the only issue is that of the continental shelf and called once again on Turkey to recourse to The Hague for its solution, underlining that "Turkey has claims without clarifying them."

Referring to an invitation by Turkey's leadership to visit Ankara, Simitis said that this would happen when there is something new so as for the visit to have a positive result.

The prime minister said that apart from the Cyprus issue, talks with Annan included developments in Afghanistan, the Balkans and more specifically the name issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). He said that negotiations were still going on to find a solution to the name dispute between Greece and the neighbouring country.

[03] No tax on internet cafe computers, gov't says

The government said on Thursday that no tax would be imposed on computers in internet cafes.

Announcement last year of the tax, which was classed as a gaming levy, sparked protests as a move that would deter internet use.

The latest finance ministry circular said the tax would be imposed on internet computers in gaming halls, as originally planned.

[04] Gov't promises OA deal by end of January

The government on Wednesday promised to finalise a long-delayed majority sell-off of troubled Olympic Airways (OA) by the end of January, as the only consortium still in the running commenced a final round of talks this week in Athens.

A 105-million-euro offer by the Australia-based Integrated Airline Solutions (IAS) for 51 percent of state-owned OA along with an accompanying commitment to retain 5,000 out of the debt-plagued airlines 7,000 employees -- is apparently the only option left on the negotiation table.

An IAS delegation arrived in Athens on Tuesday for talks with officials from Credit Suisse First Boston, as the latter serves as the Greek governments consultant on the OA privatisation.

Both parties met with the Greek National Economy and Transport ministers on Wednesday, Nikos Christodoulakis and Christos Verelis, respectively.

It was Christodoulakis, in fact, who promised a conclusion to the OA deal by this month.

According to sources, the IAS delegation presented the consortiums operation plan for OA, reportedly scaled back since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.

The relevant ministers last month, along with Prime Minister Costas Simitis himself, reiterated that the government wants a national carrier to exist but not at the expense of taxpayers.

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

Indicative tourist buying rates per euro

U.S. dollar 0.898

Pound sterling 0.622

Danish kroner 7.493

Swedish kroner 9.252

Japanese yen 118.9

Swiss franc 1.495

Norwegian kroner 8.014

Cyprus pound 0.580

Canadian dollar 1.436

Australian dollar 1.710

[06] Mixed drachma-euro armed robbery in Athens

An unidentified armed assailant robbed at gunpoint a branch of Alpha Bank in Athens taking both drachmas and euros, despite the fact that the former national currency of Greece will be out of the streets by the end of February.

The assailant who got away on a motorcycle took a total of 2.5 million drachmas and 5,500 euros.

[07] Weather Forecast: Fair weather on Friday

Fair weather is forecast throughout the country on Friday, with occasional scattered cloud in the east and south. Winds north-northeasterly, light to strong, turning very strong in parts of the Aegean. In the north, temperatures will range from -5C to 10C; in the west from -3C to 15C; and in the rest of the country from -2C to 12C. Scattered cloud in Athens with temperatures between 3C and 12C. Mostly sunny in Thessaloniki with temperatures from -2C to 9C.

[08] Greek stocks end up on Thursday

Equity prices ended Thursday's session higher supported by renewed buying for technology and telecommunication stocks.

The general index ended 0.20 percent up at 2,587.41 points, reversing a three-day decline, with turnover a low Dr 34.6 billion or 101.65 million euros.

The IT, Construction and Telecoms sectors scored the biggest percentage gains (1.56 percent, 1.13 percent and 0.97 percent, respectively), while the Insurance, Banks and Food-Beverage sectors suffered the heaviest losses (0.53 percent, 0.46 percent and 0.08 percent).

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended 0.06 percent lower, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index rose 0.21 percent and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index ended 0.56 percent higher.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 196 to 103 with another 51 issues unchanged.

[09] Govt denies Greek role in US maps without nautical boundaries in Aegean

At no time did Greek services work together with US Army cartographers to create digital maps that did not include the nautical boundaries between Greece and Turkey, Alternate Foreign Minister Tassos Yiannitsis said in Parliament on Thursday.

He was responding to questions put by KKE MP Orestis Kolozoff that referred to press reports quoting US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher.

Yiannitsis said the reports were not to be relied on and that Greece had expressed its concerns over this issue since June 2001 when the maps first surfaced and on a technical level through Greece's ambassador in NATO.

[10] Greek inflation jumps to 3.0 percent in December

Annual inflation jumped to 3.0 percent in December from 2.4 percent in November, exceeding even the most pessimistic forecasts, the National Statistics Service said on Thursday.

NSS attributed the sharp rise to a big increase in food and non-alcohol beverage prices (10.1 percent) and a 6.0 percent rise in alcohol and tobacco prices in the month.

The statistics service warned that inflation could soar to 3.5 percent in January if food and beverage prices continued rising.

The report said that the government was trying to contain inflation with massive imports of fresh farm produce from Italy, the Balkans, Egypt and Syria.

The consumer price index rose 0.9 percent in December from the previous month, for an average annual increase of 3.4 percent.

The inflation rate was running at 3.9 percent and 2.7 percent in December 2000 and 1999, respectively.

The average annual harmonised inflation rose by 3.7 percent in December compared with the same month in 2000, while on an average it was running at 3.7 percent.

Harmonised consumer price index figures are used for price stability comparisons in the euro zone.

NSS said that fresh fruit prices jumped 59.9 percent in December, burdening the general consumer price index by 0.80 percent.

The report said that the government's economic staff was puzzled by "the uncontrolled increase in prices, a development not attributed solely to the destruction of a part of the country's farm crop due to recent heavy snowfalls in Greece."

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