Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-09-18

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

CONTENTS

[01] Foreign ministry: ICAO agreement unrelated to military activity

[02] FM arrives in Stockholm to attend memorial event for slain Swedish

[03] 7th 'World Heritage Cities' symposium to be held on Rhodes

[04] UN Refugee High Commission satisfied with circular on handling of

[05] Greeks queasy about credit card, internet purchases

[06] Goody's to boost retail network in 2003

[07] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

[08] Weather Forecast: Warm and sunny on Friday

[09] Greek stock end lower on Thursday

[01] Foreign ministry: ICAO agreement unrelated to military activity

In an announcement released on Thursday, the foreign ministry strongly refuted any links between an ICAO agreement establishing 14 new air-corridors in the Athens Flight Information (FIR) and the activities of Turkish military aircraft in the Aegean, stressing that the ICAO process ''neither did nor could broach such issues''.

Put out in response to questions tabled by MPs in Parliament earlier in the day, the announcement clarified that the new measures created 14 new international air corridors at higher and lower levels in the eastern and southern sectors of the Athens FIR that served both international air traffic and the Aegean islands.

The ministry categorically denied that the agreement granted space for military exercises to Turkey near the Limnos airport, noting that Greece had steadfastly parried all past Turkish attempts to entangle issues concerning military activity within Aegean international airspace with issues concerning air traffic control within the framework of the ICAO.

It also noted that air-corridors had never in the past presented an obstacle to the provocative activities of Turkish military aircraft in the Aegean or averted violations and infringements on their part.

[02] FM arrives in Stockholm to attend memorial event for slain Swedish counterpart

STOCKHOLM (ANA-F.Karaviti) - Foreign Minister George Papandreou, visibly moved, left a rose on Thursday night outside the department store in Stockholm where Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh was fatally stabbed last week.

Hundreds of Swedes and other people visit the spot every day to leave flowers and write a few words in the book of condolences.

Papandreou arrived in the Swedish capital to attend the memorial event organised by the Swedish government on Friday.

The foreign minister will be one of the main speakers together with Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson and European Foreign Policy Commissioner Chris Patten.

[03] 7th 'World Heritage Cities' symposium to be held on Rhodes

The 7th international symposium of the Organisation of World Heritage Cities (OWHC) under the aegis of UNESCO will take place in the Medieval Town of Rhodes on September 23-26, with the participation of hundreds of mayors and other representatives of historic cities around the world.

The theme of the symposium will be ?Keeping Heritage Alive. Education and Training for the Preservation and

Management of Cultural Heritage?.

A press conference on the symposium was held in Athens on Thursday by UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Marianna Vardinoyianni, Aegean Minister Nikos Sifounakis and Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos.

[04] UN Refugee High Commission satisfied with circular on handling of detainees

The UN High Commission for Refugees declared its absolute satisfaction with a recent circular issued by the Greek Police chief on the handling of detainees and of foreigners in particular.

The circular, appealing to all police authorities in the country, reminds of Greece's international commitments on human rights and, among others, includes instructions concerning the rights of people requesting asylum.

According to the circular, police are called on to closely observe instructions contained in it and, in particular, to be extremely sensitive in the cases of vulnerable people, who include refugees, people requesting asylum and foreigners in general.

[05] Greeks queasy about credit card, internet purchases

BRUSSELS (ANA/B.Demiris) - Greeks are wary of using credit cards or buying through the internet, according to a European Union survey released on Thursday.

The level of confidence of Greeks in electronic payments was 25.83 percent lower than the bloc's average; and their level of confidence ranked lowest, the Commission's survey said.

[06] Goody's to boost retail network in 2003

Goody's, which is quoted on the Athens bourse, plans to increase the number of its domestic same-name fast food restaurants and allied Flocafe cafes to 300 outlets by the end of 2004 from 196 in September 2001, managing director Sotiris Seimanidis said on Thursday.

In addition, the company plans to open a third division, snack and sandwich outlets, to be launched on a pilot basis in the first half of 2004; a fourth division is likely to be launched by 2006, Seimanidis told a news conference.

Management had decided to freeze expansion abroad in order to concentrate on the home market with a review of the decision to be made in 2004, accompanied by possible expansion in foreign markets in 2005, he said.

In addition, Goody's is to freeze its prices until the spring of 2004, Seimanidis added.

Management forecast earnings before tax of more than 17 million euros in 2003 on sales of over 250 million euros.

The Goody's Group also owns Hellenic Catering SA.

[07] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.138

Pound sterling 0.704

Danish kroner 7.487

Swedish kroner 9.104

Japanese yen 131.1

Swiss franc 1.570

Norwegian kroner 8.241

Cyprus pound 0.589

Canadian dollar 1.553

Australian dollar 1.704

[08] Weather Forecast: Warm and sunny on Friday

All parts of the country will be warm and sunny, with some scattered cloud in the south. Winds variable, light to moderate, turning very strong in the Aegean. In the north, temperatures will range from 11C to 27C; on the rest of the mainland and in the Ionian from 14C to 29C; and in the Aegean islands from 17C to 26C. Temperatures in Athens between 16C and 28C; and in Thessaloniki from 14C to 27C.

[09] Greek stock end lower on Thursday

Greek stocks resumed their downward trend on Thursday, as lack of fresh buying activity left stock shares vulnerable to liquidation pressures in the Athens Stock Exchange.

The general index fell 1.98 percent to end at 2,021.51 points, with turnover a moderate 138.1 million euros.

All sector indices ended lower with the Textile (4.13 percent), IT Solutions (3.22 percent) and Publication (2.86 percent) sector suffering the heaviest percentage losses.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks dropped 2.08 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index ended 1.61 percent lower and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index plunged 2.65 percent.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 288 to 44 with another 26 issues unchanged.

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