Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-01-28

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

CONTENTS

[01] Weather Forecast: Rain, storms on Tuesday

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Tuesday

[03] Papandreou says EU's common stance on Iraq 'significant achievement'

[04] Athens prepares for Hungarian PM's official visit

[05] Defence minister on official visit to Algeria

[01] Weather Forecast: Rain, storms on Tuesday

Rainy and showery weather is forecast for Tuesday in all parts of the country, subsiding later in the day. Snow will fall on high ground in the center and north and in low-lying areas of Macedonia. Winds variable, moderate to very strong, turning gale force in the Aegean. In the north, temperatures will range from -2C to 9C; on the rest of the mainland and in the Ionian from 2C to 12C; and in the Aegean islands from 5C to 13C. Cloud and rain in Athens with ranging from 5C to 11C. Same in Thessaloniki with temperatures from 1C to 9C.

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Tuesday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.095

Pound sterling 0.670

Danish kroner 7.496

Swedish kroner 9.320

Japanese yen 128.9

Swiss franc 1.479

Norwegian kroner 7.515

Cyprus pound 0.583

Canadian dollar 1.663

Australian dollar 1.848

[03] Papandreou says EU's common stance on Iraq 'significant achievement'

BRUSSELS (ANA - G.Zitouniati) - A common position on the Iraq crisis adopted by Mondays EU General Affairs Council here was described as a significant achievement by Greeces Foreign Minister George Papandreou, currently presiding over the EU Council of Ministers.

Papandreou said it was the first time that the EU managed to coordinate its stance within an international organisation, such as the United Nations (UN) Security Council, while he did not rule out the likelihood of a delegation headed by himself travelling to Iraq in an ultimate effort for a diplomatic solution of the conflict.

Explaining the common stance embraced by the Unions 15 Foreign Ministers which is to be promoted by the EUs four Security Council members (France, Germany, UK and Spain) - Papandreou said this focused on allowing more time, with no set timetable, for UN weapons inspectors to carry out their work in Iraq, which reflects Europes will for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

?It is clear that we support the work of the UN weapons inspectors in Iraq and call on them to concluded it, without resorting to predictions or assessments which should be made by the Security Council,? pointed Papandreou, adding that ?We do not need to act hastily.. Let us first see the conclusions drawn by Hans Blix and other (weapons) inspectors. We are all working for the same outcome, to avert war.?

[04] Athens prepares for Hungarian PM's official visit

Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Loverdos met on Monday in Athens with Hungarys ambassador to Athens C. Korosi, in preparation of an official visit here by Hungarian PM Peter Medgyessy, scheduled for January 29 and 30.

Loverdos briefed Hungarys ambassador on the agenda of Junes informal meeting on development cooperation, in Alexandroupolis, which the EUs ten future member-countries are invited to attend as observers. Other issues looked at included bilateral economic ties and cooperation for development.

[05] Defence minister on official visit to Algeria

Defence Minister Yiannos Papantoniou is to carry out an official visit to Algeria on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to a ministry press release in Athens on Monday.

During his visit, Papantoniou is to meet Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and his Algerian counterpart Major General Mohammed Lamari, as well as the Algerian Armed Forces general staff.

Talks between the two delegations will focus on the Mediterranean Dialogue process and the Mediterranean dimension of European Defence and Security Policy, the Middle East crisis and international terrorism.

The two sides will also discuss bilateral defence and technical cooperation between Greece and Algeria and bilateral issues pertaining to military defence cooperation.

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