Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-07-05

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

CONTENTS

[01] Weather Forecast: Sunny on Friday

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

[03] Gov't wants 'crushing blow' against terrorism, PM Simitis says

[04] Greece, Germany lead EU in investments in third countries

[05] Greek leadership attends July 4 event at US envoy's residence

[06] Euro-Med's initiative's environment ministers in Athens next week

[01] Weather Forecast: Sunny on Friday

Sunny throughout Greece on Friday with a chance of scattered cloud later in the day in the central and northern parts of the country. Northerly winds, moderate to strong on the Aegean. Temperatures between 19C to 36C on the mainland, 23C to 33C on the islands.

Sunny in Athens with temperatures ranging between 23C to 36C. The same for Thessaloniki, with temperatures of 21C to 35C.

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

Indicative tourist buying rates per euro

U.S. dollar 0.986

Pound sterling 0.646

Danish kroner 7.487

Swedish kroner 9.201

Japanese yen 118.4

Swiss franc 1.476

Norwegian kroner 7.381

Cyprus pound 0.583

Canadian dollar 1.511

Australian dollar 1.774

[03] Gov't wants 'crushing blow' against terrorism, PM Simitis says

Prime minister Costas Simitis said Thursday that his government wanted the blow against terrorism to be a ''crushing'' one.

''We want the blow against terrorism to be a crushing one,'' Simitis said before a meeting of the ruling PASOK Executive Bureau, referring to the recent developments in the investigations on terrorism.

Simitis said that the developments were the result of ''systematic work'' carried out in recent years ''away from publicity'', and it was this work that ''gives the ability to the police to make use of facts and information and have these results''.

The premier insisted on a ''low-key'' tactic and ''serious and systematic effort'' in the ongoing investigation, stressing that many steps had been made in recent years.

''But we are continuing, with a plan, and with determination,'' he said, adding however that there was still ''much work'' to be done to wipe out the network of terrorism, collect the evidence and arrest all those responsible.

''It is the moment for action and not words,'' Simitis stressed, and noted the Greek Police's international cooperation which, he added, was always true to the democratic principles, the Constitution, and the laws of the country.

The premier called on the Greek people to have confidence in the government and the Greek police, and called on the political parties and media to to contribute positively to the task being carried out.

The central goal of the government's policy was and continued to be the uprooting of terrorism, Simitis said, adding that the government was determined to cement a feeling of safety among the Greek citizens and give Greece the reputation of one of the safest countries in the world.

[04] Greece, Germany lead EU in investments in third countries

BRUSSELS (ANA V. Demiris) Greece and Germany were the only EU states with a growing inward and outward flow of Extra-EU investments in 2001 compared to 2000, according to data published by Eurostat here on Thursday.

Greeces outward flow of extra-EU investments rose from 377 million Euro in 2000 to 449 million Euro in 2001, while inward extra-EU investments climbed from 95 million Euro in 2000 to 135 million Euro in 2001.

Outward extra-EU investments of the 15 member states dropped from 322 billion Euro in 2000 to 202 billion Euro in 2001, while inward extra-EU investments for the ?15? dropped from 158 billion Euro in 2000 to 96 billion Euro in 2001.

[05] Greek leadership attends July 4 event at US envoy's residence

The latest breakthrough in efforts to catch a notorious urban terrorist group was the main theme of discussions at Thursdays Fourth of July celebration at the US ambassadors residence here, an event attended by most Greeces top political leadership.

The July 4th celebration was attended, among others, by Prime Minister Costas Simitis, main opposition leader Costas Karamanlis, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos, several ministers, including Public Order Minister Mihalis Chrysohoidis, deputies and diplomats.

In briefly addressing a crowd of some 2,000 guests, US ambassador Thomas Miller stressed that the fight against terrorism has become a priority for all following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, while he also praised Greece's political and police leaderships for their efforts to eradicate the phenomenon.

He also made specific reference to Athens support in the campaign, while citing mutual feelings of solidarity uniting the Greek and American peoples.

[06] Euro-Med's initiative's environment ministers in Athens next week

Environment ministers from Euro-Mediterranean member-states will meet in Athens next week for talks on expanding cooperation in the environmental sector throughout the Mediterranean basin, in light of an international conference on viable development this autumn in Johannesburg.

?Environmental Integration? and ?Achieving Synergies? are two of the topics on the first day of the conference, set to begin on June 9, a session that will include input by representatives from various economic sectors: tourism, industry, agriculture, environmental specialists etc.

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