Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-11-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] Gas stations to reopen Tuesday as strike ends

[02] Greek EU presidency to advance energy market deregulation

[03] The City wants Greek EU presidency to back single financial market

[04] Foreign Exchange Rates - Tuesday

[05] Sportexpo to be held in Thessaloniki April 2003

[06] Weather Forecast: Scattered cloud on Tuesday

[07] Greek stocks end Monday's session 0.75 percent higher

[01] Gas stations to reopen Tuesday as strike ends

Petrol stations are to reopen at midnight on Monday following a 24-hour strike, their owners' union said.

The Federation of Gas Vendors of Greece said in a statement that it had decided not to prolong the walkout.

Following a finance ministry proposal to set up a committee that will investigate problems of illegal trading in the sector, the union said its members would await final decisions from the government moves before taking further strike action.

[02] Greek EU presidency to advance energy market deregulation

BRUSSELS (ANA/G.Zitouniati) - Greece's rotating presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2003 will work to advance a decision taken on Monday by EU energy ministers to deregulate electricity and natural gas in the 15-nation bloc.

Development Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos told reporters in the Belgian capital that deregulation on July 1, 2004 for non-household consumers would be a priority in Greece's six-month presidency, along with full liberalisation on July 1, 2007 under the same decision.

Tsohatzopoulos added that the Greek presidency would also urge the use of renewable energy and underline the environmental dimension of sustainable development.

Finally, the minister reported that Greece had secured an exemption from the deregulation ruling for electricity in the country's smaller islands, in order to avoid a disruption of supplies.

[03] The City wants Greek EU presidency to back single financial market

Greece's rotating presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2003 should advance a plan by the 15-nation bloc to complete a single market for financial services by 2005, the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Gavyn Arthur, said on Monday.

''The promotion of such a market will be one of the duties of the Greek presidency, and the City of London will help in this direction,'' Arthur told the Hellenic-British Chamber of Commerce in Athens.

The timescale for the move, which is to be effected through an action plan for the sector, was set at an EU summit in Lisbon.

Integration of the financial services market would offer Greece cheaper capital for the country's many small and medium sized enterprises, and allow a greater choice of financial products in shipping, Arthur told the chamber luncheon.

''The City believes that completion of a single market in the financial services sector will have a positive outcome for Europe's economy,'' he added.

[04] Foreign Exchange Rates - Tuesday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 0.998

Pound sterling 0.637

Danish kroner 7.485

Swedish kroner 9.083

Japanese yen 122.8

Swiss franc 1.486

Norwegian kroner 7.362

Cyprus pound 0.576

Canadian dollar 1.572

Australian dollar 1.783

[05] Sportexpo to be held in Thessaloniki April 2003

Sportexpo, an international entertainment and sports trade fair, will be held in the northern port city of Thessaloniki on April 10-13, 2003, its organiser said in a statement on Monday.

Helexpo said that the event would acquire greater interest in 2003 as it fell in the year before the Athens 2004 Olympics.

[06] Weather Forecast: Scattered cloud on Tuesday

Scattered cloud is forecast in all parts of the country. It may rain in the Ionian and on the mainland, especially overnight. The morning will be misty, especially on the mainland. Winds variable, light to strong. In the north, temperatures will range from 06C to 18C; in the west from 10C to 19C; and in the rest of the country from 09C to 22C. Temperatures in Athens between 12C and 20C; and in Thessaloniki from 06C to 19C.

[07] Greek stocks end Monday's session 0.75 percent higher

Greek stocks ended the first trading session of a new week higher in the Athens Stock Exchange on Monday, reflecting strong buying interest for blue chip stocks in the bank sector, particularly National Bank and Commercial Bank stocks.

The general index ended 0.75 percent higher at 1,872.77 points, with turnover a moderate low 85.9 million euros.

The Textile, Wholesale and Publication sectors scored the biggest percentage gains of the day (3.16 percent, 2.91 percent and 1.93 percent, respectively), while the Insurance, Investment and Retail sectors suffered the heaviest percentage losses (0.41 percent, 0.26 percent and 0.07 percent).

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks rose 1.48 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index ended 1.27 percent higher and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index rose 1.0 percent.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 242 to 76 with another 40 issues unchanged.

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