Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-02-21

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

CONTENTS

[01] Gov't to seek EU aid to cover damage caused by weather

[02] New Cyprus president says Turkish positions do not allow ground for

[03] IOC's Executive Committee ratifies Olympic Relay Race's programme for

[04] Greek-German talks focuse on EU immigration policy

[05] Northern border posts set for overhaul before Athens Olympics

[06] Weather Forecast: Cloud, some snow on Saturday

[07] Greek stocks end lower on Friday

[01] Gov't to seek EU aid to cover damage caused by weather

The Greek government will seek the European Union's assistance in covering the cost of damage caused by a recent spate of bad weather, including extensive damage to the country's roads and irrigation systems, while immediate relief would be paid out using funds from the state budget, Finance Minister Nikos Christodoulakis announced on Friday.

Christodoulakis made the statements after a government meeting chaired by Prime Minister Costas Simitis to plan the state's response to the latest wave of destruction due to natural phenomena.

Others at the meeting included the ministers for defence, interior, environment and public works, health and agriculture and deputy ministers for the finance, public order and press ministries.

Christodoulakis said the total cost of the damage was estimated at 600 million euros and that the government had decided to immediately pay out funds for repairing damaged roads and accompanying infrastructure, to compensate farmers who had lost their crops and to support flood victims.

Unprecedented levels of rainfall around the country have led to numerous landslides and soil subsidence that have caused extensive damage to roads, buildings and infrastructure, while a cold snap in the north has decimated farm production. Worst hit were the Cyclades islands, one of the main tourist destinations in the country, where homes and cars were literally engulfed in mud and roads destroyed.

[02] New Cyprus president says Turkish positions do not allow ground for negotiations

NICOSIA (ANA - G. Leonidas) - Cyprus President-elect Tassos Papadopoulos said the positions of the Turkish side do not allow ground for negotiations, adding that it is difficult to expect developments without negotiating between the two sides.

Papadopoulos said UN Seceretary General Kofi Annan will want to assess the prospects of a revised plan's acceptance first before submitting it.

In an exlusive interview with the Athens News Agency (ANA) and in response to a question on whether the Greek Cypriot side will be faced with dilemmas, Papadopoulos said ''our side is used to be faced with dilemmas''.

He went on to say that whatever challenges and whatever dilemmas will be faced with a climate of prudence and consent through the collective functioning of the National Council.

Referring to Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash's negative position regarding his election, Papadopoulos said Denktash had faced Archbishop Makarios and the presidents Kyprianou, Vassiliou and Clerides in the same way and did not expect a different handling.

On the question of the Turkish Cypriots, he said he has the sincere intention of continuing efforts for a workable and viable solution to the Cyprus issue for the benefit of all the Cypriot people.

Commenting on whether negotiating with Denktash will be difficult, Papadopoulos said the issue of Cyprus was never a problem between negotiators.

''We are not negotiating to secure more benefits for the Greek Cypriots but because we want to reach a solution which will safeguard the interests of both communities and which will be able to survive through time. To the degree that the other side will come forward with the same spirit, then negotiating will be easy,'' he said.

[03] IOC's Executive Committee ratifies Olympic Relay Race's programme for 2004

The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Executive Committee on Friday unanimously ratified the first world Olympic Relay Race's programme for 2004 in Lausanne, as it was presented by Athens 2004 Organising Committee (ATHOC) President Gianna Angelopoulos Daskalaki, who was accompanied by IOC President Jacques Rogge.

For the first time, the Olympic Flame will be carried through all five continents on the planet, while the IOC's president told Daskalaki ''Gianna, we appreciate your work very much. To a considerable degree, Athens got the Olympic Games due to your presence. I and my associates are in the same boat regarding the quality of the Athens Olympic Games.''

The course of the Olympic Flame will begin in May, 2004, with the flame lighting ceremony in Ancient Olympia. The flame will then travel all over the world for 35 days and return to Greece where it will pass through all prefectures in mainland and insular Greece before reaching the Athens Olympic stadium for the 28th Olympic Games' opening ceremony on August 13, 2004.

The Olympic Flame will pass through 27 cities in the world. All the cities which hosted summer Olympic Games since 1896, Beijing, as the city hosting the 2008 Olympic Games and Cairo, Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Lausanne and Nicosia.

A total of 10,000 relay race runners are expected to carry the flame, 6,500 of whom along the Greek section of the race and 3,500 along the international course and who will be from all parts of the world. Each relay race runner will cover an average distance of 300-500 metres.

[04] Greek-German talks focuse on EU immigration policy

BERLIN (ANA-P.Stagos) Greeces Public Order Minister Michalis Chysohoidis met here on Friday with German Internal Affairs Minister Otto Schily to look into a comprehensive European Union immigration policy in preparation for the Greek EU Presidencys first Justice Ministers Council at the end of February.

The two ministers discussed the promotion of measures to deal with illegal immigration, as well as international terrorism and how the two countries could cooperate on information exchange level.

Chrysohoidis said after the meeting that the German minister expressed his countrys reservations over the creation of a common agency to guard European borders, proposed by the Greek EU Presidency. This proposal also involves the economic allocation of the cost to implement that policy, an aspect to which Germany is also opposed.

Schilys position on immigration policy and asylum is that such issues are primarily a national policy concern.

[05] Northern border posts set for overhaul before Athens Olympics

Northern border posts are set for an overhaul ahead of the the Athens 2004 Olympics, focusing on the Kipi customs point.

Greek Real Estate SA has carried out a preliminary study that details improvements to Kipi including upgraded hygeine facilities, new traffic islands, and new road surfaces.

Other posts due for improvement are Evzones, Promahonas, Niki and Kakkavia.

[06] Weather Forecast: Cloud, some snow on Saturday

Cloud is forecast in all parts of the country, except the west, which will be sunny. Snow is expected on high ground in eastern Thessaly, the eastern mainland, Evia, the eastern Peloponnese, the Cyclades and Crete, with sleet or rain in low lying areas. Winds northeasterly, moderate to very strong. In the north, temperatures will range from -8 to 5C; on the rest of the mainland from -4C to 9C; and in the islands from 2C to 11C. Temperatures in Athens between 1C and 7C; and in Thessaloniki from -3C to 5C. Snow is likely to fall in northern and eastern Attica.

[07] Greek stocks end lower on Friday

Disappointing 2002 results announced by the two lastest commercial banks in Greece, National Bank and Alpha Bank, depressed sentiment further on the Athens Stock Exchange on Friday, pushing share prices lower.

The general index dropped 0.74 percent to end at 1,680.46 points, for a net gain of 0.06 percent in the week. Turnover was a low 57.3 million euros.

The IT Solutions, Textile and Retail sectors scored gains (1.17 percent, 0.09 percent and 0.09 percent, respectively), while the Insurance, IT and Bank sectors suffered the heaviest percentage losses of the day (2.91 percent, 1.50 percent and 1.16 percent).

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks eased 1.01 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index fell 0.49 percent and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index dropped 1.19 percent.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 229 to 73 with another 52 issues unchanged.

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