Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-11-13

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

CONTENTS

[01] PASOK-gov't meeting focuses on regional restructuring, local government

[02] PM conveys condolences to Italian counterpart over Nassiriya attack

[03] Akrotiri archaeological site at Thera to close until March

[04] Organic farming trade fair opens in Athens

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates: Friday

[06] Weather Forecast: Showers on Friday

[07] Iraq situation a priority at upcoming EU session, spokesman says

[01] PASOK-gov't meeting focuses on regional restructuring, local government

Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Thursday revealed that the government was contemplating a major restructuring of regional local authorities that would lead to a new system of government and administration for the country in the future.

Speaking after a meeting attended by government ministers and top echelons of ruling PASOK at the party's offices, Simitis stressed that actual decisions on all these issues would be left until after the upcoming general elections, however.

According to the prime minister, radical changes and a new organisation for administration and government were imposed by developments within the EU. Whereas until recently the only central policy had been the Common Agricultural Policy, more and more policy issues, such as recent decisions on illegal immigration, were now being decided centrally, he said.

[02] PM conveys condolences to Italian counterpart over Nassiriya attack

Prime Minister Costas Simitis addressed a message of condolences to his Italian counterpart Silvio Berlusconi on Thursday, expressing his profound sadness over the killing of 19 Italian soldiers in Nassiriya, Iraq. Asimilar message was also sent by main opposition New Democracy party leader Costas Karamanlis.

[03] Akrotiri archaeological site at Thera to close until March

The Akrotiri archaeological site at Thera on the island of Santorini is to remain closed until the end of February 2004, the culture ministry announced on Thursday.

They said the site was closing in order to intensify work on completing an overhead cover for the site and would reopen to the public this was cleared by an inspection to determine the progress of the work by the Central Archaeological Council.

[04] Organic farming trade fair opens in Athens

A trade fair of organic farming products opened in the Athens Exhibition Centre on Thursday with more than 150 producers taking part.

The exhibition, which ends on November 16, is arranged by Dio, a quality control organisation for the sector, in association with Technical Trade Fairs.

''Backing organic farming is an inextricable part of a unified strategy for the farm sector,'' Agriculture Minister George Drys told the trade fair's opening.

The European Union is planning to launch a unified action plan for organic farming that would allow leeway for national strategies, Drys said.

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates: Friday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.177

Pound sterling 0.699

Danish kroner 7.496

Swedish kroner 9.024

Japanese yen 127.7

Swiss franc 1.584

Norwegian kroner 8.247

Cyprus pound 0.587

Canadian dollar 1.531

Australian dollar 1.637

[06] Weather Forecast: Showers on Friday

Showers are forecast in all parts of the country with temperatures remaining flat. Winds east-northeasterly, moderate. Temperatures in Athens between 11C and 16C; and in Thessaloniki 8C and 12C.

[07] Iraq situation a priority at upcoming EU session, spokesman says

A foreign ministry spokesman on Thursday briefed local reporters over an upcoming EU foreign ministers council meeting in Brussels, saying that preparations for a EU Summit next month, issues related to enlargement, the situation in the western Balkans as well as Iraq and Mideast developments will be discussed.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell is also expected to meet with his EU counterparts during the meeting for talks on the thorny situation in Iraq, while the EU troika is expected to meet in Brussels with Israels foreign minister as well.

EU countries respective ministers overseeing the (foreign) developmental cooperation portfolio will meet on Monday, with Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Loverdos representing Greece.

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