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

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

CONTENTS

[01] Weather Forecast: Mostly sunny on Thursday

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Thursday

[03] Athens praises EU Commission's expansion report

[04] ND spokesman hails European Commission report on Cyprus

[05] October devoted to breast cancer prevention in Greece

[01] Weather Forecast: Mostly sunny on Thursday

Sunny weather is forecast in most parts of the country, with cloud in the west that may turn to showers mainly in the northwest. Winds southerly, strong to very strong. In the north, temperatures will range from 11C to 25C; on the rest of the mainland from 14C to 28C; and in the Aegean islands from 16C to 26C. Temperatures in Athens between 16C and 28C; and in Thessaloniki from 14C to 25C.

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Thursday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 0.989

Pound sterling 0.636

Danish kroner 7.486

Swedish kroner 9.229

Japanese yen 122.8

Swiss franc 1.478

Norwegian kroner 7.320

Cyprus pound 0.577

Canadian dollar 1.579

Australian dollar 1.806

[03] Athens praises EU Commission's expansion report

Greece on Wednesday praised the highly anticipated EU Commission report regarding the Unions upcoming expansion, announced the same day in Brussels, which includes positive comments for 10 would-be member-states, including Cyprus.

Speaking to reporters in Athens, Foreign Minister George Papandreou said the east Mediterranean island republic should be praised for its hard work to attain the status of frontrunner for EU accession. The other countries viewed favorably in Commission report include the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Papandreou also reiterated that Athens wants to further promote Bulgarias and Romanias EU accession prospects.

In its annual enlargement report, the Commission said it would support the two countries efforts to join the Union as early as 2007 if they accelerated reforms. However, the Commission did bestow on Bulgaria the status of 'functioning market economy', while noting progress toward the same goal on Romania.

In terms of the ?10?, the Commission said they can conclude accession talks in December, with a resulting expansion expected to be amongst the blocs most historic, provided of course, that Ireland's voters do not derail the project, as EU Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen has warned.

Meanwhile, Papandreou called the reports references to Turkey as the most ?detailed and substantive evaluation ever conducted by the European Union for Turkey.? He also cited the ?significant steps? made by Ankara in its quest to move closer to Europe, before noting that the report also ?outlined significant deficits, which Turkey must fulfil, or in other words, supplement its effort in its European course.?

The report praised Turkey's recent reform package, which included the abolition of the death penalty in peacetime and more cultural rights for its Kurdish minority.

''We will make sure the door remains open for Turkey, but it must not deviate from the task of bringing about the necessary changes,'' Verheugen was quoted in a Reuters dispatch as saying.

[04] ND spokesman hails European Commission report on Cyprus

Main opposition New Democracy party spokesman Theodoros Rousopoulos on Wednesday hailed the European Commission's report on Cyprus' accession to the European Union, publicised earlier in the day, but warned of the danger of complications until the EU's summit in Copenhagen in December.

''The European Commission's report on the accession of Cyprus to the European Union is an important development. It constitutes the reward for the efforts of the Republic of Cyprus which succeeded today in fulfilling criteria set by the EU and, indeed, in a way that is more satisfactory than that of the other candidate countries,'' he said.

''It is known that that the Commission's report will be examined by the European Council in Copenhagen on December 12, when final decisions on enlargement will be taken,'' he added.

Rousopoulos further said the accession of all of Cyprus, according to the German model, can and should take place during the Greek EU presidency (in the first half of 2003) regardless of a solution to the political problem.

''This decision by the '15' cannot be either cancelled or postponed by the reaction of any third party,'' he said.

Rousopoulos further warned that vigilance, wisdom and determination are necessary, as well as national consensus and rallying, to safeguard the smooth course of Cyprus towards the European family.

[05] October devoted to breast cancer prevention in Greece

October has been established as the official month for disseminating information and promoting the prevention of breast cancer, after a joint initiative by the Greek Anti-Cancer Society and the ''Eureka'' group.

The organisers plan to hold a series of events and presentations, the first of took place on Wednesday, and will distribute printed matter top open the lines of communication with women on the issue of breast cancer, which is the leading cause of death in European women aged 35 to 55 years.

According to figures presented to the European Parliament, one woman is diagnosed with break cancer in the EU every 2.5 minutes.

One of the most important initiatives this month will be a information phone line (0106401200) that will give instructions on how to examine one's breasts and other measures.

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