Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-07-28

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

CONTENTS

[01] Premier outlines challenges and priorities of socialism today

[02] Hellas Sat 2 to begin commercial operation on Friday

[03] Greece had 22,852 firms in 1998-2002

[04] 'Hail' and 'fairwell' movies for passengers on Athens airport shuttle

[05] Weather Forecast: Mostly sunny on Tuesday

[06] Foreign Exchange Rates - Tuesday

[07] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks nose down on fatigue

[01] Premier outlines challenges and priorities of socialism today

Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Monday visited the International Union of Socialist Youths (IUSY) festival taking place in Kammena Vourla, South Central Greece, and addressed the festival's convention, stressing that the future and aim of socialism is to regulate globalization.

''Our future and our aim is the response to the challenge for the regulation of globalization. Our political duty is to reduce to a great degree insecurity in our societies and to formulate mechanisms, processes and institutions for the regulation of globalization. Our vision is to materialize a realistic utopia,'' Simitis said.

''Our fundamental principles and ideals remain unchanged: democracy, equality, solidarity, and social justice, equality between the states of all the world, peace. Our anxiety and our sensitivities note the ideals that inspired the great revolutions and reformation movements that began in the 18th century,'' he underlined.

[02] Hellas Sat 2 to begin commercial operation on Friday

The commercial operation of Hellas Sat 2, the first domestic satellite for Greece and Cyprus, will begin on Friday, the Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE) said on Monday.

The performance tests have been successfully completed, and as a matter of fact, the measurements recorded in tests for certain crucial technical parameters were significant superior compared with those in the technical specifications, which translates into a more powerful and of higher quality signal for users, the release said.

Hellas Sat 2, a 3,450kg spacecraft carrying 30 Kuband transponders and the most powerful of its kind in Europe, will be used to provide voice, Internet, video and broadcast services to European and Balkan markets, and to broadcast the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics.

It will cover Greece, Cyprus and 25 more countries in the Balkans, central Europe and the Middle East.

[03] Greece had 22,852 firms in 1998-2002

In 1998-2002 a total of 22,852 companies were operating in Greece, both existing and newly created, the ICAP market research institute said in a survey released on Monday.

In the first four years of the period under review, the number of newly created firms rose steadily, but the number of firms and total capital declined in 2002, the survey said.

In 2002, 4,655 new firms were created representing capital of 940 million euros against nearly 5,000 companies in 2001 with capital of 1.5 billion euros, according to the survey.

The decline largely reflects a drop in new firms with capital above 100 million euros, in existence in 2000 and 2001, it added.

[04] 'Hail' and 'fairwell' movies for passengers on Athens airport shuttle buses

Passengers on Athens airport shuttle buses will soon have the opportunity to watch venue and location information movies on the bus, in both Greek and English, which will ''guide'' visitors around the capital's old and new neighbourhoods, its archaeological sites and the Olympic preparations for the Events in 2004.

Newcomers on the bus-route from the airport will watch a movie projecting important Athens sites, mainly of tourist interest, the locations of the Olympic projects, as well as information about how to get around town using public transport.

Departing visitors on their way to the airport will watch ''farewell'' footage that will also invite them to return for another visit.

[05] Weather Forecast: Mostly sunny on Tuesday

The day will start sunny in all parts of the country, with cloud building up in the centre and northern mainland from early evening, which may lead to isolated showers or storms. Winds northerly, light to moderate. In the west, temperatures will range from 19C to 36C; on the rest of the mainland from 18C to 35C; and in the Aegean from 23C to 33C. Temperatures in Athens between 24C and 35C; and in Thessaloniki from 22C to 34C.

[06] Foreign Exchange Rates - Tuesday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.158

Pound sterling 0.712

Danish kroner 7.490

Swedish kroner 9.239

Japanese yen 138.3

Swiss franc 1.560

Norwegian kroner 8.273

Cyprus pound 0.592

Canadian dollar 1.602

Australian dollar 1.746

[07] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks nose down on fatigue

The Athens bourse finished lower on Monday with fatigue dominating the session followed by late profit taking in medium and small capitalisation stocks, traders said.

The general share index shed 0.14 percent to end at 2,061.62 points. Turnover was 154.4 million euros.

The FTSE/ASE-20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks ended 0.13 percent up; the FTSE/ASE-40 for medium capitalisation paper 1.30 percent lower and the FTSE/ASE-80 for small cap equities finished with losses of 1.95 percent.

Of stocks traded, declines led advances at 237 to 91 with 40 issues remaining unchanged.

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