Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-10-22

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM strongly supports draft EU Constitution in Parliament

[02] Turkish FM Gul winds up Athens visit with meeting with PM Simitis

[03] Wine production in Greece up 4.1 pct in 2003-2004, report

[04] Euro-Mediterranean business meeting in Athens next month

[05] ESHEA denounces attack against Turkish Cypriot journalist

[06] 'The roads of the olive' programme' receives backing

[07] Weather Forecast: Scattered cloud and humid on Thursday

[08] Foreign Exchange Rates: Thursday

[01] PM strongly supports draft EU Constitution in Parliament

Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Wednesday spoke strongly in support of the draft European Constitution discussed by EU leaders in Brussels, describing it as a democratic plan that served Greek goals, in spite of having certain flaws.

Speaking during an off-the-agenda debate in Parliament on ''Greece's course within Europe'', Simitis said that the draft EU Constitution should be adopted as quickly as possible and that Greece should align itself with countries that wanted its adoption without amendments that would undermine its essence.

Addressing Parliament in his turn, main opposition New Democracy leader Costas Karamanlis focused mainly on the shortcomings of the Greek economy, saying that Greeks did not enjoy the same level of prosperity and progress as their fellow Europeans.

In a stinging critique on the government, he said it had failed to take advantage of the vast resources placed at its disposal by the EU, which were being steadily squandered through rampant corruption, untransparency and bureaucracy.

[02] Turkish FM Gul winds up Athens visit with meeting with PM Simitis

Turkish foreign minister and deputy premier Abdullah Gul on Wednesday wound up a 24-hour visit to Athens with a meeting with Greek prime minister Costas Simitis, which took place in a ''very good climate'', according to diplomatic sources.

During their 50-minute meeting, Simitis and Gul reviewed Greek-Turkish relations, Turkey-EU rapprochement, the Cyprus issue, and the problem of violations of Greek national airspace by Turkish airforce jets.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Simitis called 2004 an ''important year'' for matters concerning the Cyprus issue and also for Turkey's European prospect, and stressed the need for solutions to be found to the problems.

Gul expressed the desire for peaceful solutions to be found for all the issues, via dialogue, adding that Europe must manifest its good intentions towards his country.

[03] Wine production in Greece up 4.1 pct in 2003-2004, report

Wine production in the European Union will be the lowest in the last 10 years in the period 2003-2004, hit by a heatwave and severe drought conditions in several EU regions last summer, the Confederation of European Farm and Cooperative Organisations COPA and COGECA said on Wednesday.

The confederation, however, said that wine production in Greece rose 4.1 percent in the period 2003-2004 compared with the period 1998-1999.

COPA-COGECA, in a report published on Wednesday in Brussels, said that wine production the EU would total 156 million hectolitres, down 9.3 percent from the 1998-1999 period, marking its fourth consecutive year of decline.

[04] Euro-Mediterranean business meeting in Athens next month

The Foundation for Mediterranean Cooperation will hold its fifth international conference on ''Euro-Mediterranean Business Meeting: Building New Bridges: Europe and the Arab world'', November 28-December 4, at the facilities of the Piraeus Port Organisation.

Karolos Papoulias, honorary-president of the Foundation, speaking to reporters during a news conference, stressed that Greek-Arab trade relations were growing steadily and that the conference will discuss ways to invest Greek and Arab capital to Southeast European countries.

[05] ESHEA denounces attack against Turkish Cypriot journalist

The Athens Journalists Union (ESHEA) in an announcement on Wednesday denounced the attack by the ''Grey Wolves'' organisation against Turkish Cypriot journalist Murat Kanatli while he was conducting his journalistic duties.

The extremist organisation brutally attacked Kanatli, who represents the newspaper ''Yenicag'', in the Turkissh occupied part of Nicosia on Monday.

ESHEA expressed its unbridled support to the struggle of the Turkish Cypriot journalists for freedom of the press.

[06] 'The roads of the olive' programme' receives backing

A series of cultural events, in support of the programme ''The roads of the olive'', are to be held under the auspices of UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura, the Permanent Representation of Greece at UNESCO and Greek Ambassador to UNESCO Vassilis Vasilikos with the backing of the Development Ministry.

The events include the presentation of the ''The roads of the olive'', a dance programme and a music and dance programme which will include music from mediterranean countries.

[07] Weather Forecast: Scattered cloud and humid on Thursday

Scattered cloud and humid in Greece on Wednesday, with a chance for rain in the usually wet northwest. Winds south-southwesterly, moderate to strong. In the north, temperatures will range from 13C to 24C; in the west 16C to 26C; and in the rest of the country from 15C to 30C. Temperatures in Athens between 18C and 29C; and in Thessaloniki from 17C to 24C.

[08] Foreign Exchange Rates: Thursday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.178

Pound sterling 0.700

Danish kroner 7.491

Swedish kroner 9.097

Japanese yen 129.1

Swiss franc 1.566

Norwegian kroner 8.319

Cyprus pound 0.588

Canadian dollar 1.551

Australian dollar 1.678

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