Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-06-20

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

CONTENTS

[01] Weather Forecast: Changeable on Friday

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

[03] Draft Constitution good basis for start of Intergovernmental Conference

[04] Twenty Turkish warplanes infringe Athens FIR, violate Greek airspace

[05] State to keep 21% of National Bank of Greece after bond expiry

[01] Weather Forecast: Changeable on Friday

Unsettled weather is forecast in many parts of the country, with cloud, showers and storms on the mainland, in the Ionian and in the northern Aegean, especially on the mainland. The rest of the country can expect sunshine. Winds northerly, light to moderate. In the north, temperatures will range from 18C to 28C; on the rest of the mainland from 20C to 33C; and in the islands from 22C to 30C. Temperatures in Athens between 24C and 32C; and in Thessaloniki from 22C to 28C.

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.174

Pound sterling 0.702

Danish kroner 7.484

Swedish kroner 9.149

Japanese yen 139.6

Swiss franc 1.564

Norwegian kroner 8.194

Cyprus pound 0.590

Canadian dollar 1.588

Australian dollar 1.756

[03] Draft Constitution good basis for start of Intergovernmental Conference talks

The European Union's draft Constitution, which Convention for the Future of Europe President Valery Giscard d'Estaing will submit to the European leaders at the EU summit in Halkidiki on Friday, is considered ''a good basis of negotiations for the start of the negotiations of the Intergovernmental Conference.''

The EU summit draft resolution, according to information made known to the Athens News Agency, stresses that the European Council calls on the Italian presidency to start the relevant procedures in order for the Intergovernmental Conference to start in October and be completed ''as soon as possible and before the Euroelections of June 2004,'' with the participation on an equal footing of the new EU countries.

The draft resolution also states that the new constitutional treaty should be signed by all the member states as soon as possible after May 1, 2004.

Regarding the sessions of the Intergovernmental Conference, it is clarified that the member countries will participate on a level of heads of state and government, accompanied by the members of the General Affairs Council and the Foreign Relations Council, while a representative of the European Commission will also take part.

[04] Twenty Turkish warplanes infringe Athens FIR, violate Greek airspace

Seven formations, 20 aircraft, of Turkish warplanes made an equal number of infringements of air traffic regulations in the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) on Thursday which developed into seven violations of national airspace in the northern and central Aegean, press reports said.

In all cases, the 20 Turkish planes were recognised and intercepted by Greek warplanes, while in seven cases the interception process developed into an engagement.

The reports said five of the Turkish aircraft recognised were armed.

[05] State to keep 21% of National Bank of Greece after bond expiry

The state will keep a 21 percent stake in Athens-quoted National Bank of Greece following expiry of convertible bonds on July 15 linked to the country's largest bank, National Economy Minister Nikos Christodoulakis said on Thursday.

The 895 million euro bond convertible into National's stock was issued in 1998. The stock representing 6.9 percent of the bank is held by the state's share holding agency, DEKA.

New bonds will be issued to holders of the convertible bond, Christodoulakis said.

The minister's statement was released after a meeting he held with National's governor, Theodoros Karatzas.

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