Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-01-23

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

CONTENTS

[01] EU Labour Ministers meet in Nafplio

[02] Preconditions for political settlement in Iraq exist, Russian FM says

[03] Russian Olympic Committee delegation visits ATHOC offices

[04] Sebastian Coe awarded 'Truce Discus' at Thessaloniki event

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

[06] Weather Forecast: Rain on Friday

[07] Greek stocks rebound strong on Thursday

[01] EU Labour Ministers meet in Nafplio

Opening the informal EU Council of Labour Ministers in Nafplio, Peloponesse, on Thursday, the Greek Minister of Labour and Social Security Dimitris Reppas, in his capacity as president of the Labour and Social Affairs Council, told the EU troika and social partners representatives that the Greek EU presidencys target was a social Europe aiming at full employment and social cohesion.

Reppas referred to the need to reform the European Employment Strategy (EES) and better coordination with member-states economic policy. In that framework, he proposed for discussion with the social partners a number of issues, including investing in human resources, boosting entrepreneurship, fighting the paraeconomy, incorporation of immigrants, linking social protection and employment and reducing regional inequalities.

Such issues also include two perky matters: promoting active ageing policies by extending the working life and pursuing a new labour market balance with greater worker security and more flexible businesses.

The issue of modernisation of social protection systems was also raised by Reppas, in the Laaken directions sufficiency-viability-modernisation. A more balanced approach combining Lisbon targets and social protection will be pursued through coordinating social integration systems, retirement, health and making work pay, Reppas said.

[02] Preconditions for political settlement in Iraq exist, Russian FM says

The preconditions for a political and diplomatic settlement of the Iraq crisis exist, while, on the contrary, there is no reason to table the issue of the use of violence against this country at the UN Security Council, visiting Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said on Thursday, following his meeting with Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou.

Responding to an ANA question, Ivanov said that since the UN decision 1441 was approved unanimously, all governments should act in the framework of that decision and none has the right to undertake unilateral action.

The Russian minister also referred to the crisis in Korea, stressing that there are margins for a peaceful resolution by political and diplomatic means, assessing that an immediate dialogue between the United States and North Korea is necessary.

On his part, Papandreou said that the ''European Union and the United States, not only cooperate for decades now, they also share common values of freedom and democracy, while both have significant historical experiences on which they can call''.

He also said, commenting on US negative reactions to statements by European leaders, that the European positions stem from experience and knowledge and from the more immediate contact with the surrounding world, including the Arab and Muslim world.

[03] Russian Olympic Committee delegation visits ATHOC offices

A delegation of the Russian National Olympic Committee visited the offices of the Athens 2004 Organising Committee (ATHOC) on Thursday and discussed issues concerning cooperation between the Russian Olympic Committee and ATHOC.

Russian Olympic Committee President Tiagachev congratulated ATHOC on the course of preparations to date and referred to the possibility of cooperation with the Organising Committee on cultural issues and the possibility of Russian interpreters being provided during the Olympic Games.

[04] Sebastian Coe awarded 'Truce Discus' at Thessaloniki event

Deputy Sports Minister George Lianis awarded British Olympic Games gold medallist Sebastian Coe with the 'Truce Discus' at an event in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, on Thursday.

Speaking at Thessaloniki's Aristotelion University, Coe said:''It is the first time that I feel so honoured by a city. I would particularly like to thank Voula Patoulidou (sprinter) for her contribution to world sports, a fact which particularly inspired the women of Greece to take up track and field events and constitutes a guarantee for success in the Olympic Games in 2004. In a few days time the British government will decide whether it will bid for the Olympic Games of 2012. If I had any doubts about this fact, they collapsed following my visit to Athens where I visited Olympic Games projects and saw the Olympic Village which after the end of the Games will host 10,000 people. I also visited a hospital which will offer services to more than one million people. It is therefore apparent that the bid by a country to host the Olympic Games can offer a great deal in its development.''

Coe, a member of the House of Lords, has an impressive track record in his 18-year career as a medium-distance runner.

At the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games he won the gold medal in the 1,500 metre race and the silver in the 800 metres. Four years later, in Los Angeles, he repeated his successes.

Coe is now a columnist in the Daily Telegraph newspaper and a sports commentator on BBC radio.

On his part, Lianis said:''Sports and Olympism is the most important world theory in the world history of the human race. With the Olympic Games we will take revenge on moral decline, war and the dragon of doping.'' Concluding, Lianis said ''Olympic medallists do not belong to their countries but to all the world.''

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.084

Pound sterling 0.669

Danish kroner 7.496

Swedish kroner 9.319

Japanese yen 128.0

Swiss franc 1.475

Norwegian kroner 7.465

Cyprus pound 0.583

Canadian dollar 1.654

Australian dollar 1.833

[06] Weather Forecast: Rain on Friday

Cloudy weather is forecast in all parts of the country with showers in the Dodecanese and eastern Aegean, rain and storms in the west, and rain in the rest of the country, especially from late afternoon. Storms are expected on the mainland overnight. Snow will fall on high ground in the north. Winds variable, moderate to strong. In the north, temperatures will range from 2C to 10C; on the rest of the mainland and in the Ionian from 6C to 15C; and in the Aegean islands from 9C to 17C. Temperatures in Athens between 8C and 15C; and in Thessaloniki from 5C to 10C.

[07] Greek stocks rebound strong on Thursday

Greek stocks rebounded strongly on Thursday following a recovery trend in international markets.

The general index jumped 1.64 percent to end at 1,697.06 points, with turnover at 88.9 million euros.

The Textile, Wholesale, Bank, Publication and Retail sectors scored the biggest percentage gains of the day (4.35 percent, 3.71 percent, 3.15 percent, 2.96 percent and 2.06 percent, respectively), while the IT Solutions and Industrial sectors scored the smallest percentage gains (1.14 percent and 0.97 percent, respectively).

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks rose 2.10 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index ended 1.25 percent higher, the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index jumped 2.98 percent and the FTSE/ASE 140 index ended 2.05 percent up.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 305 to 32 with another 18 issues unchanged.

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