Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-12-13

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

CONTENTS

[01] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

[02] Simitis: Athens' goals include Cyprus' accession, solution to island's

[03] 36 Turkish war planes infringe on Athens' FIR, violate Greek airspace

[04] Greece's EU presidency to seek summit for social partners

[05] Athens Concert Hall organising series of Christmas events

[01] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.023

Pound sterling 0.648

Danish kroner 7.486

Swedish kroner 9.179

Japanese yen 125.5

Swiss franc 1.488

Norwegian kroner 7.393

Cyprus pound 0.577

Canadian dollar 1.590

Australian dollar 1.808

[02] Simitis: Athens' goals include Cyprus' accession, solution to island's problem

COPENHAGEN (ANA V. Mourtis) -- Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Thursday expressed Athens optimism regarding Cyprus' EU entry without conditions, a possible Cyprus solution and the prospect of Turkey receiving its long-sought demand for a fixed date to begin EU accession negotiations, hours before a landmark EU Summit was expected to rubberstamp enlargement.

Speaking at a press conference, Simitis said Greece arrived at the Copenhagen Summit with three goals: Cyprus EU accession; a solution to the long-standing Cyprus problem and a decision over a future date for Turkey to begin negotiations with the Union.

The prime minister said Cyprus' accession course was without problems and the fact that no overt objections were heard was due to the major efforts of the Greek government.

Moreover, Simitis said the island republics EU accession would promote stability and peace in the region, while adding that, indeed, a Cyprus solution would have been preferable before the Summit.

He added that any such solution is difficult to arrive at over the next two days of the Copenhagen Summit, saying UN Chief Kofi Annan would have been in the Danish capital if such a prospect was possible.

Finally, he reiterated, as he did earlier in comments following a meeting with Turkish ruling party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, that Greece believes Turkey ?could be given a date? for starting accession negotiations with the EU in 2004.

[03] 36 Turkish war planes infringe on Athens' FIR, violate Greek airspace

Turkish war planes infringed on Athens' Flight Information Region (FIR) and in 25 instances they violated Greek airspace in the north-central Aegean and East of Rhodes Island, on Thursday, according to press sources.

The same sources said that all 36 Turkish fighter-jets responsible for the infringements and violations were intercepted by Greek Airforce jets.

[04] Greece's EU presidency to seek summit for social partners

Labour and Social Security Minister Dimitris Reppas said on Thursday that Greece's rotating presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2003 would seek to establish a new institution in the 15-nation bloc - a summit for government, employers and workers.

The summit for social partners would enable the three sides to officially hold consultations on a European level, Reppas told reporters.

He was speaking after a meeting in Athens with deputies of the European parliament's employment committee to brief them on priorities of the Greek presidency.

[05] Athens Concert Hall organising series of Christmas events

A series of Christmas events organised every year by the Athens Concert Hall, and taking place this year with the National Bank of Greece's sponsorship, contains a wide spectrum of productions combining speech, music and movement.

Most of the programmes, which include the Symphonic Orchestra of the Bulgarian Radio Service and the Corps Ballet of the Sofia State Opera, are primarily directed at children and music lovers of all ages.

The Concert Hall's Christmas events are distinguished by two musical tales chosen to be presented this year by the Camerata, the Friends of Music Orchestra, under the directorship of its permanent maestro Alexandros Myrat.

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