Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-03-05

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

CONTENTS

[01] Weather Forecast: Cloud, rain on Wednesday

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Wednesday

[03] PM says court should be let to do its work in N17 terrorist suspects'

[04] Papantoniou speaks of Iraq crisis and new world challenges

[01] Weather Forecast: Cloud, rain on Wednesday

Cloud, rain and storms are forecast in most parts of the country, with the west remaining dry. Snow will fall on high ground on the mainland. Winds variable, strong to very strong, turning gale force in the Aegean. In the north, temperatures will range from 2C to 10C; on the rest of the mainland from 5C to 12C; and in the islands from 8C to 14C. Temperatures in Athens between 6C and 12C; and in Thessaloniki from 4C to 10C.

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Wednesday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.100

Pound sterling 0.695

Danish kroner 7.488

Swedish kroner 9.266

Japanese yen 129.4

Swiss franc 1.471

Norwegian kroner 7.839

Cyprus pound 0.585

Canadian dollar 1.633

Australian dollar 1.795

[03] PM says court should be let to do its work in N17 terrorist suspects' trial

Prime Minister Costas Simitis inaugurated a new university hospital in Alexandroupoli, northern Greece, on Tuesday and, referring to the trial of 19 November 17 terrorist group suspects taking place in Athens, pointed out that the court should be let to do its work.

''It has all the preconditions to its job well and let us preoccupy ourselves with Greece which is changing. With Greece which is creating and with Greece which is eluding situations such as those being examined in the trial,'' he said.

Simitis also referred to the Iraq crisis, saying it is a difficult period for peace.

He added that, unfortunately, the European Union is not in a position institutionally to take initiatives to force, to push in a direction, while what it can do is to create convictions, to create a climate and to convey the need for all to take care for war to be averted.

''The Greek p[residency from the beginning, with two decisions by the General Affairs Council and the summit, I believe it gave a message of will towards a world in doubt that we should continue, pressure and mobilise ourselves to be able to avert the war. To secure disarmament and create a world which will be safer. We shall continue in this direction,'' he said.

[04] Papantoniou speaks of Iraq crisis and new world challenges

LONDON (ANA. L. Tsirigotakis) - Greek Defence Minister Yiannos Papantoniou was one of the main speakers at a public debate held at the London School of Economics on Tuesday on the theme ''Europe's foreign and defence policy and the new world challenges.''

Other speakers included NATO Alternate Secretary General Minuto Ritso and British defence analyst Paul Beaver.

On the Iraq crisis, Papantoniou noted that ''the Greek EU presidency's priority is to work in the direction of a peaceful settlement to the various military disputes and particularly now in the Iraq crisis, in the context, of course, of the international laws which the United Nations secures as a suitable starting point for dealing with such issues. In view of this, we look forward to the efforts by the United Nations to bring about positive results.''

The European Union wants to see the complete disarmament of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and at the same time supports every possibility for a peaceful settlement of the crisis, he said, adding that ''Greece is making every effort to bring all the partners of the European Union to a common line on the Iraq issue.''

Papantoniou acknowledged that ''if theUnited States and Britain undertake a military operation in Iraq without a second United Nations resolution, then the consequences for the unity of the members of the European Union will be negative.''

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