Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-11-08

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

CONTENTS

[01] ''Smooth course'' for Cyprus and Greek EU presidency, Simitis predicts

[02] ATHOC, IOC promise Olympics that 'leave a legacy' to Greece

[03] EU parliamentary conference to be held in Athens

[04] Patriarch to officially visit London next week

[05] Judges from southeastern Europe to meet in Thessaloniki

[06] Massive security planned for Panathinaikos-Fenerbahce game

[07] Thessaloniki Film Festival gets under way

[08] ''Smooth course'' for Cyprus and Greek EU presidency, Simitis predicts

[09] Weather Forecast: Rain, storms on Saturday

[10] Greek stocks end week 3.41 percent higher

[01] ''Smooth course'' for Cyprus and Greek EU presidency, Simitis predicts

BERLIN (ANA - P. Stangos) - ''A smooth course'' for Cyprus' accession to the European Union during the Copenhagen Summit and the correct preparing of the Greek EU presidency, which begins in January, was predicted by Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Friday, during statements to the press here, following his meeting with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

With his visit here, Simitis concluded a tour of Berlin, Paris and London.

Speaking of the expected submittal of a plan for the solution of the Cyprus issue by United Nations' Secretary General Kofi Annan, Simitis insisted that the issue of Cyprus' accession to the European Union and the resolution of the Cyprus problem were two different issues.

He underlined that the solution should be viable, should secure the functionality of the state and should be compatible with the Union's acquis communautaire.

According to sources, Annan's plan is expected on Monday.

''We are not going to accept just any solution,'' Simitis said.

In statements to the press following their meeting, Simitis and Schroeder announced that the foreign ministers of the two countries Joschka Fischer and George Papandreou, will meet soon and will cooperate in evaluating the plan that will be submitted by Annan, so as to confront ''possible problems''.

[02] ATHOC, IOC promise Olympics that 'leave a legacy' to Greece

The latest inspection visit by an International Olympic Committee (IOC) commission supervising the 2004 Athens Olympic Games concluded here on Friday, with the head of the organising committee (ATHOC) vowing to host Olympic Games that both meet the IOCs quality specifications and ?leave a legacy? for Greece.

The statement, by ATHOC president Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, came at the customary news conference held after practically every IOC inspection, and as commission head Denis Oswald sat by her side before dozens of reporters and camera crews.

While mostly expressing the Lausanne-based organisations satisfaction with the on-going course of 2004 preparations, Oswald nevertheless directly touched on a handful of outstanding thorns affecting preparations, citing delayed construction of a new venue for the popular basketball competition and the highly anticipated project to renovate the main Olympic Stadium (OAKA), where the track and field competitions will take place, sandwiched between the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

[03] EU parliamentary conference to be held in Athens

The Greek Parliament will organise a conference of Parliamentary Defence Committee presidents of European Union member-states and the European Parliament on November 11-12 in the framework of the country's presidency in the EU's European security and defence sector.

The conference will be held in the Old Parliament building, while Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis will address its opening at 10.30 a.m. on November 11.

Issues to be examined are ''Targets and Priorities of the Greek Presidency in the European Security and Defence Policy:European possibilities'' and ''The Mediterranean Dimension of the European Security and Defence Policy.''

[04] Patriarch to officially visit London next week

ISTANBUL (ANA - A. Kourkoulas) -- Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos will arrive in Great Britain next week after an official invitation from Queen Elizabeth II, and on the occasion of the British monarchs golden jubilee.

Vartholomeos is expected to attend a dinner given by Elizabeth for many of the worlds top religious leaders at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday evening. Earlier, the group religious leaders are expected to meet with Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, for discussions on environmental protection issues, as the latter served as World Wildlife Fund (WWF) president for many years.

On Wednesday, the Patriarch will attend an event in London entitled ?Our Place in Creation?.

[05] Judges from southeastern Europe to meet in Thessaloniki

The National Academy of Judges' Training Department will organise a meeting of judges from countries of southeastern Europe in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, on November 10-17.

Issues to be discussed will focus on the European Convention of the Rights of Man, the European Court of the Rights of Man and the protection of fundamental human rights.

Justice Minister Filippos Petsalnikos, Minister of Macedonia and Thrace George Paschalidis and Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Loverdos will be among speakers addressing the meeting.

[06] Massive security planned for Panathinaikos-Fenerbahce game

The second leg match between UEFA cup contenders Athens Panathinaikos and Istanbul's Fenerbahce in Athens next Thursday will take place under unprecedentedly high security measures, sources within the Greek police said on Friday.

During a broad meeting at Athens police headquarters, attended by Panathinaikos club officials, the football players union and other sports officials, it was decided that over 3,000 officers drawn from various departments in the police force would be deployed to keep order at the game, they said.

The plan provides for three security zones, one at a distance of four blocks from the Panathinaikos Stadium, which is situated on one of the main streets of Athens, one around the stadium itself and one at the entrances. The Turkish team and fans will arrive and depart under a heavy police escort, while the two stands adjoining the visitors' stands will be empty and guarded by riot police.

Panathinaikos drew 1-1 with Fenerbahce in the first leg match in Istanbul.

[07] Thessaloniki Film Festival gets under way

About 190 Greek and foreign films will be screened at the 43rd Thessaloniki Film Festival which began on Friday.

The opening ceremony was held on Friday night at the ''Olympion'' building at Aristotelous Square.

Within the framework of the international competition section, a total of 16 films by new film-makers from all over the world will be screened and who will contest the Gold and Silver Alexandros awards which will be accompanied by a monetary prize of 36,700 euros and 22,000 euros respectively.

Honoured personalities in this year's festival are Italian film director Marco Bellocchio, Hungarian film director Bela Tarr, American Bob Rafelson and Greeks Pantelis Voulgaris and Yiannis Dalianidis.

[08] ''Smooth course'' for Cyprus and Greek EU presidency, Simitis predicts

BERLIN (ANA - P. Stangos) - ''A smooth course'' for Cyprus' accession to the European Union during the Copenhagen Summit and the correct preparing of the Greek EU presidency, which begins in January, was predicted by Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Friday, during statements to the press here, following his meeting with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

With his visit here, Simitis concluded a tour of Berlin, Paris and London.

Speaking of the expected submittal of a plan for the solution of the Cyprus issue by United Nations' Secretary General Kofi Annan, Simitis insisted that the issue of Cyprus' accession to the European Union and the resolution of the Cyprus problem were two different issues.

He underlined that the solution should be viable, should secure the functionality of the state and should be compatible with the Union's acquis communautaire.

According to sources, Annan's plan is expected on Monday.

''We are not going to accept just any solution,'' Simitis said.

In statements to the press following their meeting, Simitis and Schroeder announced that the foreign ministers of the two countries Joschka Fischer and George Papandreou, will meet soon and will cooperate in evaluating the plan that will be submitted by Annan, so as to confront ''possible problems''.

Schroeder, responding to questions on what possible problems may occur with Cyprus' accession as a result of Annan's plan, said that he could not evaluate the plan without having seen it before.

He said that this will be dealt with between the Greek and German foreign ministers, having stated that Germany wishes to see the Union's enlargement completed and that it does all it can so that the final decision on the issue is taken in Copenhagen.

The Greek premier reiterated that based on the Helsinki decision was clear, stating that the accession of Cyprus was not depended on the resolution of the Cyprus problem.

Simitis, speaking later to the Greek press, said that the aforementioned position was held by his interlocutors, including Chancellor Schroeder.

During their exit from their meeting, Schroeder said that Germany will support Greece during its presidency with all its power, adding that he agreed with the time table for the accession of the candidate member-states.

Simitis also talked of the EU prospect for Bulgaria and Romania in 2007 and said that Turkey needs ''a positive message'', concerning the initiation of accession negotiations.

He added that this ''positive message'' should be given in Copenhagen, noting that the Greek position will crystallize, after his meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdogan.Erdogan's Justice and Development party won last Sunday's general elections in Turkey.

[09] Weather Forecast: Rain, storms on Saturday

Rain and storms are forecast in all parts of the country, easing off overnight from the northwest. Snow will fall on high ground in the north. Winds variable, moderate to very strong. In the north, temperatures will range from 3C to 12C; in the Ionian and on the rest of the mainland from 10C to 19C; and in the Aegean islands from 15C to 22C. Temperatures in Athens between 14C and 18C; and in Thessaloniki from 8C to 12C.

[10] Greek stocks end week 3.41 percent higher

Greek stocks ended the last trading session of the week with small gains, with a wave of selective buying in the last hour of trading reversing an early decline of prices in the Athens Stock Exchange.

The general index rose 0.39 percent to end at 1,836.32 points, with turnover a low 78.2 million euros.

The general index ended the week with a net gain of 3.41 percent.

The Insurance, Publication and Holding sectors scored the biggest percentage gains of the day (4.30 percent, 1.22 percent and 0.99 percent, respectively), while the Wholesale, Textile and Investment sectors suffered the heaviest percentage losses (0.80 percent, 0.77 percent and 0.67 percent).

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended 0.40 percent higher, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index fell 0.01 percent and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index ended 0.02 percent higher.

Broadly, decliners matched advancers (156 each), with another 38 issues unchanged.

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