Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-06-06

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

CONTENTS

[01] Skandalidis, Kinnock on EU administrative reform, better legislation

[02] Latest round of Greek-Turkish dialogue concludes

[03] Ν-Εσωτερικές-11η Μπιενάλε νέων δημιουργών Ευρώπης και Μεσογείου

[04] Hunger strikes over TVX bankruptcy prospects

[05] Wine conference held in Santorini

[06] Archbishop Christodoulos visits Romania

[07] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

[08] CORRECTION: Greek stocks jump to new year highs on Friday

[09] Weather Forecast: Sunshine, scattered cloud on Saturday

[10] Greek stocks jump to new year highs on Friday

[01] Skandalidis, Kinnock on EU administrative reform, better legislation

A European Union informal ministerial Council of Public Administration taking place on the Greek island of Rhodes on Friday examined issues pertaining to good legislation practices, human resources and innovation in public services.

In his opening speech, Greeces Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization Minister Costas Skandalidis described the overall reforms in the area of public administration in view of the Unions enlargement.

He said a single administrative reform was obstructed by the lack of policy on major reform issues, as well as the limited funding made available for administrative structures reforms. He added however, that convergence should not lead to the abolition of autonomy or to wiping out the national schemes the European tradition is based on.

Participating ministers focused their discussion on the simplification of administrative procedures and the implementation by European bodies and member-states of good law-making practices.

European Administrative Reform Commissioner Neil Kinnock, speaking during a joint press conference with Skandalidis, said the improvement of public services aimed at offering better service to citizens was an on-going process that had started two years ago in La Rioha (Spain), continued in Rhodes and is expected to be concluded under the upcoming Italian EU Presidency, in the second half of 2003.

[02] Latest round of Greek-Turkish dialogue concludes

ISTANBUL (ANA A. Kourkoulas) Turkish diplomatic sources here have reportedly referred to the ongoing dialogue between Athens and Ankara as ?positive?, following the 11th round of contacts between foreign ministry officials from both countries earlier this week.

The 11th round of contacts was held in Ankara, with the Turkish delegation led by Amb. Ugur Ziyal, while the corresponding Greek delegation was headed by Amb. Anastassios Skopelitis.

According to sources on the Turkish side, Ankara continues to pursue a ?comprehensive solution? to a series of pending Greek-Turkish differences, such as the Aegeans continental shelf, airspace over the Aegean, rocky islets and even territorial waters.

The same sources claimed that Athens insists on its standing policy of referring the continental shelf issue to the International Court of Justice at The Hague for adjudication, a precursor to resolving other differences.

The next round of contacts is scheduled for Athens in July.

[03] Ν-Εσωτερικές-11η Μπιενάλε νέων δημιουργών Ευρώπης και Μεσογείου

Ξεκίνησε σήμερα η 11η Μπιενάλε νέων δημιουργών Ευρώπης και Μεσογείου στο Πάρκο Περιβαλλοντικής Eκπαίδευσης ''Αντώνης Τρίτσης'' στο δήμο Ιλίου. Η 11η Μπιενάλε υποστηρίζεται από το πρόγραμμα Ολυμπιακής Παιδείας του υπουργείου Εθνικής Παιδείας και Θρησκευμάτων και στο πλαίσιο των εκδηλώσεών της θα φιλοξενηθούν εκθέσεις οπτικών και εφαρμοσμένων τεχνών, εκδηλώσεις cyber art, θεατρικές παραστάσεις και παραστάσεις χορού, συναυλίες, προβολές κινηματογραφικών έργων, καλλιτεχνικά δρώμενα, βραδιές λογοτεχνίας και βραδιές μόδας .

Περισσότεροι από 700 νέοι καλλιτέχνες από 18 χώρες θα λάβουν μέρος στις εκδηλώσεις.

[04] Hunger strikes over TVX bankruptcy prospects

Miners at the TVX Hellas gold mines in Halkidiki prefecture, northern Greece, continued their underground hunger strikes on Friday to protest the companys decision to declare bankruptcy.

TVX, now a subsidiary of Kinross Gold Corp., had often been the target of local officials mobilizations in the past, as the latter claimed the gold mining was damaging the regions environment.

[05] Wine conference held in Santorini

Greece's National Tourism Organisation is organising an international wine conference in Santorini with the participation of university professors, wine experts and producers.

Addressing the conference, GNTO's chairman Yiannis Patellis unveiled the organisation's strategy to promoting Greek gastronomy and stressed the significance of vineyards to the country's culture.

The union of film clubs is also organising a seminar in Santorini on the ''symbolic role of wine in film-making''.

Mr Patellis said that Santorini was selected as the ideal place for wedding ceremonies in a survey conducted in the US and the UK.

[06] Archbishop Christodoulos visits Romania

Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos is currently on a visit to Romania.

Addressing an official dinner hosted in his honour on Friday by the Patriarch of Romania Theoktistos, Christodoulos referred to the strong bonds linking the Greek and Romanian people but also the two churches of the same faith which yet again are called on to proceed together in history and to the new European reality.

Regarding the role of Orthodoxy in an enlarged Europe, Archbishop Christodoulos told a press conference that the Europeans view Orthodoxy as the spiritual force which will give a new impetus to the social and cultural life of the continent.

[07] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.190

Pound sterling 0.714

Danish kroner 7.484

Swedish kroner 9.198

Japanese yen 140.3

Swiss franc 1.556

Norwegian kroner 8.213

Cyprus pound 0.590

Canadian dollar 1.610

Australian dollar 1.796

[08] CORRECTION: Greek stocks jump to new year highs on Friday

In paragraph two, please read ''general index soaring 2.43 percent'' instead of ''general index soaring 3.43 percent'' as incorrectly stated.

A corrected repetition follows.

Greek stocks jumped to new record highs for the year in the Athens Stock Exchange on Friday, following gains in other European markets.

The Greek market recorded the biggest weekly gains so far this year, ending the week with a net gain of 9.90 percent, with the general index soaring 2.43 percent to end at 1,876.64 points on Friday. Turnover was an improved 173.9 million euros.

All sector indices scored gains, led by Publications (+10.18 percent), Insurance (+8.62 percent), IT Solutions (+7.13 percent), IT (+4.06) and Metals (+3.72 percent).

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks rose 2.66 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index ended 2.56 percent higher, the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index jumped 3.55 percent and the wider FTSE/ASE 140 index ended 2.74 percent up.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 294 to 34 with another 38 issues unchanged.

[09] Weather Forecast: Sunshine, scattered cloud on Saturday

The day will start sunny with scattered cloud from afternoon. Showers are likely in Crete and the Dodecanese islands in the morning, and, later in the day, isolated storms on high ground in the north. Winds north-northeasterly, light to strong. In the Ionian, temperatures will range from 17C to 31C; on the mainland from 15C to 33C; and in the Aegean islands from 18C to 29C. Temperatures in Athens between 20C and 31C; and in Thessaloniki from 19C to 29C.

[10] Greek stocks jump to new year highs on Friday

Greek stocks jumped to new record highs for the year in the Athens Stock Exchange on Friday, following gains in other European markets.

The Greek market recorded the biggest weekly gains so far this year, ending the week with a net gain of 9.90 percent, with the general index soaring 3.43 percent to end at 1,876.64 points on Friday. Turnover was an improved 173.9 million euros.

All sector indices scored gains, led by Publications (+10.18 percent), Insurance (+8.62 percent), IT Solutions (+7.13 percent), IT (+4.06) and Metals (+3.72 percent).

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks rose 2.66 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index ended 2.56 percent higher, the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index jumped 3.55 percent and the wider FTSE/ASE 140 index ended 2.74 percent up.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 294 to 34 with another 38 issues unchanged.

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