Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-06-11

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

CONTENTS

[01] Weather Forecast: Mostly sunny on Tuesday

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Tuesday

[03] Int'l issues, environmental protection discussed by President in New

[04] Costas Stefanis appointed new health minister

[05] ND leader addresses IDU summit in Washington

[06] Bank employees to strike on Wednesday

[07] Gov't on 'Euro Army' issue; Aznar in Athens on Tues.

[01] Weather Forecast: Mostly sunny on Tuesday

Sunshine is forecast in most parts of the country, with showers or storms in eastern Macedonia, Thrace and the northern and eastern Aegean that will soon ease off. Winds northwesterly, moderate to strong. In the north and west, temperatures will range from 17C to 29C; on the rest of the mainland from 18C to 31C; and in the Aegean islands from 19C to 27C. Sunny in Athens, with temperatures between 19C and 30C. Same in Thessaloniki, with temperatures from 18C to 28C.

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Tuesday

Indicative tourist buying rates per euro

U.S. dollar 0.953

Pound sterling 0.652

Danish kroner 7.495

Swedish kroner 9.284

Japanese yen 118.8

Swiss franc 1.484

Norwegian kroner 7.484

Cyprus pound 0.585

Canadian dollar 1.464

Australian dollar 1.671

[03] Int'l issues, environmental protection discussed by President in New Zealand

WELLINGTON (ANA - N. Megadoukas) -- President Kostis Stephanopoulos, in the first-ever visit to New Zealand by a Greek head of state, met Monday in Wellington with New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark for talks focussing on bilateral and international issues.

Stephanopoulos told reporters after the meeting that Greece has agreed to a request by New Zealand for the signing of a ''working holidays'' protocol which would enable Greek and New Zealand youths visiting the other country on tourist visas to extend their visas for a year and work in that country.

In a joint press conference after their meeting, Stephanopoulos and Clark said such an accord would further strengthen the close ties between the two countries.

A similiar agreement was expected to be signed also with Australia, during Australian premier John Howard's forthcoming visit to Athens in July.

Clark voiced support for a viable solution to the Cyprus issue founded on the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and expressed hope that Cyprus' accession to the European Union would ''serve as a catalyst for the resolution of the (island republic's political) problem''.

[04] Costas Stefanis appointed new health minister

Government spokesman Christos Protopapas on Monday evening announced the appointment of professor Costas Stefanis as new health minister, replacing Alekos Papadopoulos who resigned earlier in the day.

Stefanis will be sworn-in following President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos's return from abroad.

Athens University professor of psychiatry Stefanis was born in 1928. He is married and has two sons and a daughter.

He conducted post-graduate studies at Montreal's McGill University.

He has published a series of studies, including ''Hashish-Studies of long term use'', 1977, ''Recent advances in Depression'', 1983, ''Prolactin and prolactenomas'', 1983, ''Schizophrenia-Recent Biosocial Developments'', 1987 and ''Biological aspects of suicide'', 1988.

He was elected in September 1996 as ruling PASOK Deputy of State.

He took up the chairmanship of the Onassion Cardiological Centre in 2001.

[05] ND leader addresses IDU summit in Washington

WASHINGTON (ANA - T. Ellis) - Main opposition New Democracy party leader Costas Karamanlis said on Monday the winds of change are sweeping across Europe and have opened a historic window to opportunities.

Karamanlis, who was speaking at the International Democratic Union's (IDU) summit, said the centre-right has achieved considerable victories both in past years and recently.

He also underlined that a solution to the Cyprus issue and the accession of Cyprus to the European Union is a ''key'' to stability in the eastern Mediterranean and committed himself that as prime minister he will make every effort to crack down on terrorism.

Karamanlis invited all leaders participating in the meeting to visit Athens during the 2004 Olympic Games, expressing the hope that he himself will be welcoming them as prime minister, something that former British Conservative Party leader and chairman of the meeting William Hague considers to be a certainty.

[06] Bank employees to strike on Wednesday

The Federation of Bank Employee Unions (OTOE) announced on Monday that it will stage a 24-hour nationwide strike on Wednesday, calling

on the government to proceed in necessary amendments in the social security reform bill.

OTOE has sent a letter to the labour minister with relevant proposals.

[07] Gov't on 'Euro Army' issue; Aznar in Athens on Tues.

The government on Monday clarified that several initiatives have been put forth by the current Spanish presidency vis-a-vis Athens positions regarding the ?Euro-Armys? scope and operation, although no official and specific proposals have been tabled.

Government spokesman Christos Protopapas made the statement in light of Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznars visit to Greece on Tuesday.

?All thats been done until now hasnt really led to the Greek sides agreement. The fact that ideas and thoughts are being generated is a positive development, however, we have a long road ahead of us, and we are not on the threshold of an agreement,? he said.

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