Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-03-20

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

CONTENTS

[01] Weather Forecast: Mostly sunny on Thursday

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Thursday

[03] Stepped up security, border patrols ordered throughout Greece

[04] Simitis outlines Spring Council schedule to EU leaders

[01] Weather Forecast: Mostly sunny on Thursday

Sunshine is forecast in all parts of the country, with scattered cloud in the east and south. Winds northerly, light to moderate. In the north, temperatures will range from -2C to 15C; in the west from 1C to 17C; and in the rest of the country from 3C to 16C. Temperatures in Athens between 4C and 15C; and in Thessaloniki from 2C to 14C.

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Thursday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.065

Pound sterling 0.684

Danish kroner 7.488

Swedish kroner 9.269

Japanese yen 127.0

Swiss franc 1.483

Norwegian kroner 7.941

Cyprus pound 0.588

Canadian dollar 1.580

Australian dollar 1.800

[03] Stepped up security, border patrols ordered throughout Greece

Greek authorities, including the armed forces and intelligence services, have been placed on a higher state of alert as of Tuesday, in the wake of an expected US-led attack against Iraq over the next few days.

Stepped up security at a handful of foreign diplomatic missions in the country, including the US, British and Israeli embassies, as well as around other possible targets has already been ordered.

Beefed up patrols at airports and stricter checking of passengers and luggage were also reported.

Meanwhile, law enforcement personnel have joined army patrols in the Evros border prefecture in northeastern Greece to prevent a possible wave of refugees the war zone from reaching the countrys territory via Turkey. Greece and Turkeys only shared land borders are separated by the Evros River (Maritsa in Turkish) in the Thrace province western Thrace belonging to Greece and eastern Thrace forming Turkeys only European territory.

Increased coast guard and navy patrols in the Aegean are also aimed at preventing the sea borne transport of illegal immigrants to Greece or other EU destinations.

Finally, intelligence services are monitoring border posts around the east Mediterranean country in order to intercept possible terror suspects from entering the country, with a list of some 150 individuals -- mostly hailing from Arab countries -- reportedly being used. Finally, other reports stated some 200 individuals have been placed under surveillance in Greece itself.

[04] Simitis outlines Spring Council schedule to EU leaders

BRUSSELS (ANA - A.Simatos) Latest developments in the Iraq crisis and issues relating to the Lisbon strategy agenda will be the focus of the Spring EU Council, to be held here on Thursday and Friday, according to a letter sent by Greek Prime Minister and EU Council President Costas Simitis to the EUs 15 heads of state and government.

?The Iraq issue currently dominates the global agenda and consequently we should above all place emphasis on that specific issue,? premier Simitis says in his letter.

The letter also contains the schedule of meetings and deliberations to be held during the top European meeting.

The Council will open Thursday afternoon with a meeting and exchange of views with European Parliament President Pat Cox, to be followed by a discussion of the Iraq crisis, which would continue on during a working dinner to be attended by the Unions 15 Foreign Ministers, with the latest developments in the Middle East and the Balkan to be also on the table.

At a separate working dinner also on Thursday evening, EU Finance Ministers are to hold a discussion on the global economic situation.

On Friday morning, the Council will open with a discussion of the Lisbon strategy by both foreign and finance ministers.

Issues to be looked into, according to Simitis, will relate to the so far achievements and difficulties in implementing the ten-year Lisbon strategy, adopted by the European Council in 2000.

At noon, the 15 EU leaders will have a luncheon together with the leaders of the 13 acceding countries, and discussion would focus on all issues that would have been debated by that time.

Two separate working dinners will be held in the evening, one of EU foreign ministers together with their counterparts of the 13 acceding nations, and the other of finance ministers with their acceding counterparts.

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