Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-06-22

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

CONTENTS

[01] Annual EU-U.S. summit in Washington on Wednesday

[02] EU nudges western Balkans on road towards accession

[03] Weather Forecast: Sunny on Monday

[04] Weather Forecast: Sunny on Sunday

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

[01] Annual EU-U.S. summit in Washington on Wednesday

WASHINGTON (ANA - E. Ellis) - The leaders of the European Union and of the United States will meet at the White House on Wednesday for the annual EU-U.S. summit.

The strengthening of transatlantic cooperation, international issuess such as the Middle East problem, Iraq, the confrontation of international terrorism, the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, judicialcooperation and U.S.-EU trade and economic relations will be discussed at the summit, which is the third of its kind during the presidency of George W. Bush.

The European delegation will be headed by Greek Prime Minister and European Council President Costas Simitis and European Commission President Romano Prodi. Also present will beEU High Representative for Security and Foreign Policy Javier Solana, Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou, Greek Justice Minister Filippos Petsalnikos, Deputy Press Minister Telemahos Hytiris and EU Commissioners Loyola de Palacio and Pascal Lamy.

The summit will begin with a meeting between Bush, Simitis and Prodi and followed by discussions of the two delegations which will conclude with a working luncheon.

The three leaders will give a joint press conference at the White House and later Simitis and Prodi will brief reporters at their hotels.

[02] EU nudges western Balkans on road towards accession

The European Union on Saturday issued a clear message to western Balkan countries that the road to European integration was wide open as long as criteria for accession, including the Copenhagen criteria, are dutifully met.

The message by European leadership came minutes after the conclusion of a EU-Western Balkans Summit, a day after an official European Summit concluded at the Porto Carras seaside resort (west of the northern Greek port city of Thessaloniki).

The EUs unequivocal commitment, bolstered by a promise for more development funds to the strife-plagued region, follows a decade that highlighted Europes weakness to deal with crises in its own back yard. The back yard of the western Balkans, in this case, encompasses practically all of the former Yugoslavia, in addition to Albania.

In reference to one of those bitter Balkan conflicts of the 90s Kosovo -- top EU diplomat Javier Solana revealed that ?Belgrade and Pristina have clearly expressed their desire to enter into a dialogue, and that dialogue will begin before the end July? a direct reference to efforts at working out a lasting settlement for the UN-administered province between its ethnic Albanian majority and Serbia.

Greek Prime Minister and EU president-in-office Costas Simitis opened a press conference after the Summit conclusion by announcing that the Union would funnel another 200 million euros to the western Balkan region over the next three years on top of the five billion euros already earmarked until 2007.

[03] Weather Forecast: Sunny on Monday

Sunny weather is forecast throughout the country on Monday, with scattered cloud from the afternoon. Winds variable, light to strong, turning very strong in the southeastern Aegean. Temperatures in the Ionian and on the mainland will range from 17C to 34C and in the islands from 22C to 29C. Temperatures in Athens between 23C and 33C; and in Thessaloniki from 21C to 32C.

[04] Weather Forecast: Sunny on Sunday

Sunny weather is forecast throughout the country on Sunday, with scattered cloud from the afternoon. Winds northerly, light to strong. In the north, temperatures will range from 17C to 31C; on the rest of the mainland from 19C to 33C; and in the islands from 21C to 29C. Temperatures in Athens between 22C and 32C; and in Thessaloniki from 21C to 31C.

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

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 139.0

Swiss franc 1.555

Norwegian kroner 8.223

Cyprus pound 0.590

Canadian dollar 1.578

Australian dollar 1.750

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