Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-09-29

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

CONTENTS

[01] Economy minister addresses IFM in Washington D.C.

[02] Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch arrives in Athens

[03] EU cannot expand without Cyprus, Parl't speaker reiterates

[04] ND's Petralia elected president of International Organization of Women

[05] Weather Forecast: unsettled weather on Monday

[06] Weather Forecast: Rain on Sunday

[07] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

[01] Economy minister addresses IFM in Washington D.C.

WASHINGTON D.C. (ANA - S. Politis) - National Economy Minister Nikos Christodoulakis on Sunday pointed out the positive course of the Greek economy, during his address to the International Monetary Fund's annual meeting here.

The Greek minister, who is representing the European Union's eurozone countries, stressed that Greece's GDP growth rates will close the year at 3.8 per cent and forecasted a 4.1 per cent for 2003.

He said that inflation in the country remained higher than the eurozone's average, adding that it was a cause for concern.

[02] Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch arrives in Athens

Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos arrived in Athens on Sunday and immediately made his way to the Athens Archepiscopate for a dinner given by Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos.

Upon his arrival, Vartholomeos expressed his pleasure to be back in Athens, saying that there was a spiritual umbilical cord between the Holy See of Constantinople (Istanbul) and the Church of Greece.

Christodoulos, who met the patriarch at Athens airport at the head of a Holy Synod delegation, expressed the satisfaction and joy of the Church of Greece for the Patriarch's visit.

Vartholomeos has a busy schedule of engagements in Athens before his departure on Wednesday, including meetings with the country's state and political leadership, a ceremony at the Athens Agricultural University on Monday where he is to be made honorary professor and a meeting with UNESCO Good Will Ambassador Marianna Vardinoyiannis shortly before he leaves on Wednesday, during which they will discuss initiatives to help street children and children in Africa, as well as the Patriarch's environmental projects.

[03] EU cannot expand without Cyprus, Parl't speaker reiterates

Cyprus' accession to the European Union would be a unique historic opportunity to establish peace, security and collective progress for all the inhabitants of the island republic, Parliament Speaker Apostolos Kaklamanis said on Sunday.

He once again stressed that the Greek Parliament would not ratify any enlargement of the EU that did not include Cyprus, stressing that it had a right to join.

Kaklamanis made the statements during a ceremony to name the Kiato 2nd Primary School after Evagoras Pallikaridis, a Cypriot teenager who fought against the British colonial rule and was eventually hanged by the colonial forces in the 1950s.

[04] ND's Petralia elected president of International Organization of Women

Main opposition New Democracy deputy Fani Palli-Petralia was elected president of the International Organization of Women of the Liberal and Center Right Parties.

Petralia was the first ever Greek woman to be elected to the organization in its conference that took place in Warsaw on Saturday.

[05] Weather Forecast: unsettled weather on Monday

Unsettled weather is forecast for most parts of the country on Monday, with clouds, rain and some snow on high ground in the north and northwest. Winds east-northeasterly, moderate, in the north, variable, light to moderate, elsewhere. In the north, temperatures will range from 09C to 18C; in the Ionian and mainland from 13C to 24C; and in the Aegean from 17C to 26C. Light cloud with a possibility of rain in Athens and temperatures between 17C and 24C. Wet weather in Thessaloniki with temperatures from 13C to 16C.

[06] Weather Forecast: Rain on Sunday

Cloud and rain is forecast for most parts of the country on Sunday. Winds variable, light to moderate, turning strong in parts of the Aegean. In the north, temperatures will range from 12C to 20C; in the west from 14C to 23C; and in the rest of the country from 16C to 26C. Cloudy with a possibility for rain in Athens and temperatures between 18C and 25C. Same in Thessaloniki with temperatures from 12C to 19C.

[07] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 0.985

Pound sterling 0.633

Danish kroner 7.486

Swedish kroner 9.178

Japanese yen 120.7

Swiss franc 1.478

Norwegian kroner 7.391

Cyprus pound 0.578

Canadian dollar 1.553

Australian dollar 1.809

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