Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-10-22

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] Public order minister refers to close Greek-U.S. cooperation on

[02] PM chairs Olympic Games cabinet meeting, calls for speeding

[03] U.S. Ambassador to Turkey calls for Halki's reopening

[04] Athens airport's ten millionth customer gets free airline ticket

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates - Wednesday

[06] Weather Forecast: Sunshine, cloud on Wednesday

[07] Blue chips press ASE below 1,800 level on Tuesday

[01] Public order minister refers to close Greek-U.S. cooperation on security matters

WASHINGTON (ANA - T. Ellis) - Public Order Minister Michalis Chrysohoidis on Tuesday discussed Greece's cooperation with the United States in safely organising the 2004 Athens Olympic Games with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage.

The Greek minister also emphasised Greece's role in the Balkans, saying ''it was a very important meeting. The United States looks forward to our country's role in the stability of the Balkans, that of Eastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean''.

''They are also looking forward to initiatives Greece will be taking during its EU presidency, on issues of illegal immigration, as well as Balkan reconstruction,'' he said, adding ''it was a very useful exchange of views and of course it was dominated by the issue of the preparations of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games for which, as I have said, the United States is showing great interest in us holding successful and secure Games.''

''We detailed the aims we have set, in relation to security, the preparation that exists at a bilateral level and on the level of the counseling team with the U.S. and I think that what should take place from now on is to make this cooperation even closer and effective,'' he said.

[02] PM chairs Olympic Games cabinet meeting, calls for speeding preparations

Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Tuesday called on the government ministers the further speeding up of the Olympic preparations during a relevant cabinet meeting, stressing the ''inflexibility of the datelines''.

''The projects must forge forward at intense rates, with decisive interventions and drastic measures, wherever that is necessary, cutting the red tape, for example in public enterprises' or other public services' paperwork, should be a mainstay, and if necessary decisions should be made at a ministerial level,'' he said.

In any case, government spokesman Telemachos Hytiris said that the premier expressed the certainty that the International Olympic Committee delegation that will arrive in Athens in Nov. 6 will verify the progress for the preparations of the Games.

Before the cabinet meeting, Simitis met with Athens 2004 Olympic Organizing Committee President Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki and according the sources and discussed the preparations of the Games ahead of the IOC delegation visit.

The same sources said that Angelopoulos-Daskalaki briefed Simitis on her recent trip to Paris and her meeting with French President Jacques Chirac.

[03] U.S. Ambassador to Turkey calls for Halki's reopening

ISTANBUL (ANA - A. Kourkoulas) - U.S. Ambassador to Turkey W. Robert Pearson on Tuesday called on Turkey once again to allow the reopening of the Halki Theology Academy of the Christian Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate.

On their part, a delegation of the Greek-Orthodox Church of America Ecumenical Patriarchate St. Andreas Order said that the lack of a permit for the academy to operate was a ''violation of our rights as American citizens''.

''I would like to reiterate the U.S. support for the reopening of the Theological School of Halki as an independent educational institution, that belongs exclusively to the Patriarchate,'' Pearson said, following his visit to the site of the academy with the U.S. delegation and Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos.

[04] Athens airport's ten millionth customer gets free airline ticket

A passenger travelling on Alitalia on Tuesday became Athens airport's ten millionth arrival since the facility opened in March 2001.

The traveller was welcomed into the Eleftherios Venizelos airport's VIP lounge to receive the complementary return ticket to Rome or Milan, with wishes for a pleasant journey.

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates - Wednesday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 0.984

Pound sterling 0.636

Danish kroner 7.491

Swedish kroner 9.181

Japanese yen 123.3

Swiss franc 1.481

Norwegian kroner 7.493

Cyprus pound 0.576

Canadian dollar 1.539

Australian dollar 1.778

[06] Weather Forecast: Sunshine, cloud on Wednesday

Cloud is forecast in the west, centre, north and eastern Aegean islands, with light rain mainly in the northwest. Sunny weather is forecast in the rest of the country. Early morning mist is expected. Winds southwesterly, light to moderate. In the north, temperatures will range from 10C to 22C; in the west from 14C to 24C; and in the rest of the country from 12C to 26C. Temperatures in Athens between 13C and 26C; and in Thessaloniki from 11C to 21C.

[07] Blue chips press ASE below 1,800 level on Tuesday

Greek stocks came under pressure on Tuesday pushing the Athens Stock Exchange below the 1,800 level with blue chip stocks leading the market lower. Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation fell 3.39 percent, Commercial Bank dropped 4.50 percent, Panafon eased 2.58 percent, Intracom fell 4.20 percent and Viohalco ended 2.98 percent down. National Bank and Piraeus Bank were the only blue chip stocks to end higher.

The general index fell 1.14 percent to end at 1,798.71 points, with turnover a low 78.1 million euros.

The Insurance, Holding and Telecommunication sectors suffered the heaviest percentage losses of the day (2.81 percent, 2.66 percent and 2.46 percent, respectively), while the Retail, Cement and Textile sectors scored the biggest gains (2.39 percent, 1.65 percent and 0.53 percent).

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended 1.45 percent lower, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index eased 0.31 percent and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index fell 0.04 percent.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 174 to 121 with another 60 issues unchanged.

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article