Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-06-30

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

CONTENTS

[01] Athens assumes informal 'euro zone' presidency

[02] Mediterranean news agencies conclude 11th general assembly here

[03] Weather Forecast: Partly cloudy on Monday

[01] Athens assumes informal 'euro zone' presidency

Greece assumes the presidency of the informal ''Euro zone? group of countries economy ministers on Monday, replacing Denmark which has not adopted the euro currency until Jan. 1, 2003 before serving for the next six months until June, when the country officially assumes the European Unions six-month rotating presidency.

At the same time, the country takes the chair of the European Security and Defence Policy for a year, also starting on July 1, and joins the EUs troika of the current, previous and upcoming presidencies.

[02] Mediterranean news agencies conclude 11th general assembly here

The 11th general assembly of the Alliance of Mediterranean News Agencies (AMAN) wound up in Athens over the weekend with the organisations presidency changing hands, with Athens News Agency (ANA) General Director Andreas Christodoulides assuming the year-long post from Tunisia's Agence Presse (TAP).

Delegates from the participating member-agencies unanimously approved of a cooperation protocol with the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA), along with a reciprocal agreement of observer status between the two organisations. AMAN delegates also unanimously approved the membership request of Slovenias STA and Yugoslavias Tanjug with the latter initially given observer status.

The Algerie Presse Service (APS) will assume the AMAN presidency next June, followed in 2004 by the Albanian Telegraph Agency (ATA).

Additionally, delegates from the 16 out of the 17 member-agencies in attendance approved emergency aid to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, while calling for freedom of movement and the safe of exercise of journalists professional duties in the Palestinian territories and Israel.

The AMAN general assembly was preceded by an ANA-sponsored seminar entitled ''Mediterranean News Agencies and Olympic Games in Athens The Digital Challenge''.

[03] Weather Forecast: Partly cloudy on Monday

Partly cloudy weather and local showers are forecast in eastern Macedonia and Thrace on Monday with fair weather conditions in the rest of the country. Winds northerly light in the west of the country, moderate in the east and strong in the southeastern Aegean. Temperatures between 18C to 31C on the mainland in the north, 20C to 34C on the rest of the mainland and 22C to 32C on the islands. Partly cloudy in Athens with temperatures ranging between 23C to 33C. Same in Thessaloniki with temperatures between 20C to 31C.

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