Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-10-30

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

CONTENTS

[01] Greek ministers invited to London con'f aimed at tackling Balkan crime

[02] Commissioner Viviane Reding due in Athens on Thursday

[03] PM briefs political leaders on 'Euro Army', Cyprus' EU prospects

[04] President Stephanopoulos meets South African president

[05] Gov't denies existence of draft solution for Cyprus issue

[06] Foreign Exchange Rates - Thursday

[07] Weather Forecast: Fair throughout the country on Thursday

[08] Blue chips lead ASE higher on Wednesday (CORRECTION)

[09] Blue chips lead ASE higher on Wednesday

[01] Greek ministers invited to London con'f aimed at tackling Balkan crime

Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou and Public Order Minister Mihalis Chrysohoidis have been invited to a major conference to be held in London at the end of the month focusing on the subject of tackling organised crime in the Balkans, a press release from the British embassy in Athens stated on Wednesday.

The EU-led conference, to be hosted by British Foreign Jack Straw and Home Secretary David Blunkett, will focus attention on the need to tackle criminal activity in the Balkans, and its effects on the rest of Europe, in a more coordinated way, the press release added.

Delegates will include justice, interior, foreign ministers from the Balkans, representatives from neighbouring states, EU and other international partners, as well as senior officials from multilateral organisations, including the European Commission.

[02] Commissioner Viviane Reding due in Athens on Thursday

European Commissioner Viviane Reding, responsible for EU education and cultural issues, will visit Athens on Thursday and Friday for talks with the Greek government in preparation for the Greek EU presidency.

On Thursday, the Commissioner will meet the head of the Athens 2004 Olympics Organising Committee, Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, Greek Education Minister Petros Efthymiou, Deputy Education Minister Eleni Kourkoula and education ministry officials.

The following day, Commissioner Reding will have talks with Deputy Press and Media Minister Tilemahos Hytiris, Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos and Foreign Minister George Papandreou, while on Friday afternoon she is scheduled to have dinner with main opposition New Democracy leader Costas Karamanlis.

She will hold a press conference on Friday at noon, at the European Commission's offices in Athens.

[03] PM briefs political leaders on 'Euro Army', Cyprus' EU prospects

Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis briefed the countrys top political party leaders on Wednesday on the results from last weeks informal EU summit in Brussels, particularly in regards to the closely watched ?Euro Army? issue and Cyprus bright prospects for achieving European Union accession.

The premier also called for national unity and the avoidance of petty political confrontations regarding the Cyprus issue, following his separate meetings with political leaders.

In response to reporters questions, Simitis indirectly dismissed speculation that a Cyprus peace plan is on the table, although he recognized that an UN-brokered deal is being developed. He added that promotion of a UN solution has been a standing request by Nicosia and Athens.

In summing up the ?Brussels? compromise, he reiterated that EU and NATO members would conceivably commit to avoiding violence or the threat to use violence against each other, or even to back changes in external borders.

?Greece, as the presiding country of the (Unions) defence sector fulfilled its duty; it submitted proposals and solutions; it expressed the hope that the other involved parties would correspond. Responsibility now lies with them so that long-standing vagueness is now ended,? he said.

[04] President Stephanopoulos meets South African president

CAPE TOWN (ANA - N. Megadoukas) Greek President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos on Wednesday began the second day of an official visit to SouthAfrica - the first ever by a Greek head of state - by meeting South African President Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki for talks on developing bilateral trade and economic relations between Greece and South Africa.

Stephanopoulos arrived in Cape Town on Tuesday night for a five-day official visit, accompanied by deputy foreign ministers Yiannis Magriotis and Andreas Loverdos, as well as a large business delegation.

In a joint press conference afterward, Mbeki said the two sides had agreed on how the issues they discussed should proceed and on the need for closer bilateral ties.

Further progress on trade and economic issues is expected when the South African leader makes an official visit to Greece in 2003, at Stephanopoulos' invitation.

Greece, as a net importer of South African products, is particularly keen to further develop trade ties and redress the balance. The 60 or so Greek business people accompanying the president are either economically active within South Africa or else have plans to become so, while they will take part in an economic forum with their South African counterparts that will be addressed by Stephanopoulos.

On the political front, the two heads of state stressed that ties between Greece and South Africa were excellent and reported a convergence of views on international issues.

One topic emphasised was further developing ties between Africa and the European Union, in view of the Greek EU presidency in the first half of 2003 and South Africa's assumption of the African Union's presidency in the same year.

The second EU-Africa Union summit will take place during the Greek EU presidency and it is hoped that it will help further strengthen ties and mutual understanding between the two unions.

[05] Gov't denies existence of draft solution for Cyprus issue

Government spokesman Christos Protopapas on Wednesday denied the existence of a draft solution for the Cyprus problem, saying that the government had at no time received any such proposal from the United Nations.

He also noted that the Greek side was pursuing a variety of international initiatives for a solution to the Cyprus problem.

Protopapas reminded reporters, meanwhile, that UN intervention for a solution to the Cyprus problem within the framework of UN decisions had been requested by the Greek side.

An acceptable solution would have to respect the single international identity of Cyprus, its single sovereignty and nationality and would have to be functional, viable and compatible with European practice, he added.

[06] Foreign Exchange Rates - Thursday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 0.990

Pound sterling 0.636

Danish kroner 7.491

Swedish kroner 9.156

Japanese yen 121.6

Swiss franc 1.476

Norwegian kroner 7.449

Cyprus pound 0.576

Canadian dollar 1.548

Australian dollar 1.788

[07] Weather Forecast: Fair throughout the country on Thursday

Fair weather is forecast throughout the country with local fog in the morning on mainland Greece. Winds light and northerly moderate in the Aegean. In the north, temperatures will range from 4C to 21C; in the Ionian from 9C to 24C; and in the Aegean from 12C to 23C. Fair weather in Athens with temperatures between 13C and 23C. Same in Thessaloniki with temperatures between 6C and 21C.

1

[08] Blue chips lead ASE higher on Wednesday (CORRECTION)

In para 2, line 1 replaces incorrect percentage for general index rise "1.49 percent" with correct "0.49 per cent". Corrected version follows:

A wave of increased demand for blue chip stocks in the banking sector (Alpha Bank, National Bank and EFG Eurobank Ergasias) during the last hour of trading pushed Greek stocks higher in the Athens Stock Exchange on Wednesday, reversing an early decline of prices.

The general index rose 0.49 percent to end at 1,782.40 points, with turnover a low 56.6 million euros.

The Holding, Food-Beverage and IT sectors suffered losses (0.85 percent, 0.60 percent and 0.46 percent, respectively), while the Insurance, IT Solution and Base Metals sector scored the biggest percentage gains of the day (1.68 percent, 1.51 percent and 1.41 percent, respectively).

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks rose 0.71 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index ended 0.30 percent higher and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index rose 0.54 percent.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 189 to 101 with another 57 issues unchanged.

[09] Blue chips lead ASE higher on Wednesday

A wave of increased demand for blue chip stocks in the banking sector (Alpha Bank, National Bank and EFG Eurobank Ergasias) during the last hour of trading pushed Greek stocks higher in the Athens Stock Exchange on Wednesday, reversing an early decline of prices.

The general index rose 1.49 percent to end at 1,782.40 points, with turnover a low 56.6 million euros.

The Holding, Food-Beverage and IT sectors suffered losses (0.85 percent, 0.60 percent and 0.46 percent, respectively), while the Insurance, IT Solution and Base Metals sector scored the biggest percentage gains of the day (1.68 percent, 1.51 percent and 1.41 percent, respectively).

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks rose 0.71 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index ended 0.30 percent higher and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index rose 0.54 percent.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 189 to 101 with another 57 issues unchanged.

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