Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-11-28

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

CONTENTS

[01] FM meets with Turkish counterpart on sidelines of EU conference

[02] Intensified security measures ordered for 2004 Games

[03] Communist parties of Greece and Cuba sign cooperation protocol

[04] OA flight attendants on strike

[05] Golf seen as future tourism option for Greece

[06] Weather Forecast: Cloudy on Saturday

[07] Foreign Exchange Rates: Monday

[08] Greek stocks end week with a net gain of 2.49 pct

[01] FM meets with Turkish counterpart on sidelines of EU conference

NAPLES (ANA - C. Poulidou) - Foreign Minister George Papandreou on Friday met with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul on the sidelines of the European Union's foreign ministers' conference.

According to a briefing by the foreign ministry, the meeting between Papandreou and Gul was part of bilateral talks that the two ministers have established on every suitable occasion.

The same sources said that the two men discussed current issues, that is conditions in Turkey following the terrorist attacks in Istanbul, ways of confronting terrorism, European developments and the Cyprus issue.

[02] Intensified security measures ordered for 2004 Games

The latest measures announced by Greek authorities this week in terms of closely watched security preparations for the 2004 Olympic Games include a decision to erect a state-of-the-art double chain-link fence around the ?Olympic Village? in northwest Athens, similar to new NATO barriers across Europe.

The stepped up measures come in the wake of last weeks dastardly terrorist bombings in Istanbul.

The first fence will surround the Villages outer perimeter, with the area in between the two fences left for patrols and the passage of emergency vehicles.

Moreover, Greek authorities said on Friday ultra-sensitive sensors and cameras as well as manned observation posts will be employed at the Olympic Village as well.

[03] Communist parties of Greece and Cuba sign cooperation protocol

The Communist parties of Greece and Cuba signed a cooperation protocol in Havana, Cuba on Friday.

The protocol was signed by Communist Party of Greece (KKE) General Secretary Aleka Papariga and Jose Ramon Balaguer, a Politburo member responsible for the International Relations Department of Cuba. The cooperation protocol is of a two-year duration and at the end of the two years it will be renewed every two years each time.

The cooperation protocol includes joint action by the two parties in movements, mutual visits by delegations, the expression of solidarity, as well as the study of theoretical matters, a KKE announcement said.

[04] OA flight attendants on strike

Delays in state-run Olympic Airways flights were reported on Friday due to a strike by the stewards union over a variety of demands mostly related to the governments recent decision to separate the debt-ridden national carriers services and flight operations.

The strike is expected to last until Monday.

According to the airlines management, 17 out of 31 flights up until the afternoon were cancelled, while union representatives said OAs charter subsidiary, Macedonia Airways, served the routes instead.

The charter subsidiary, as well as Olympic Aviation, the carriers subsidiary for domestic routes, continued their normal service.

[05] Golf seen as future tourism option for Greece

Greece has leeway for growth in golf tourism as the sector has been little exploited, speakers at an international investment and real estate conference said on Friday.

New golf courses could be established as part of tourism and development investment ventures, the speakers told the European meeting in Athens that included delegates from 15 countries.

Cooperation would need to evolve between private sector companies and government authorities, the speakers said.

Greece has five 18-hole golf courses and one nine-hole course used by 1,300 players, according to the European Golf Association.

Planned or under construction are a further five courses in Corfu, Crete, the Peloponnese and Halkidiki, the association said.

[06] Weather Forecast: Cloudy on Saturday

Cloudy weather is forecast throughout the country with showers mainly in the west and north, which will also see storms. Winds variable, moderate. Temperatures to drop slightly in the Ionian and on the mainland, with a minimum of 13C and maximum of 18C in Athens; and in Thessaloniki, 10C to 15C.

[07] Foreign Exchange Rates: Monday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.209

Pound sterling 0.702

Danish kroner 7.499

Swedish kroner 9.119

Japanese yen 132.2

Swiss franc 1.560

Norwegian kroner 8.227

Cyprus pound 0.588

Canadian dollar 1.567

Australian dollar 1.671

[08] Greek stocks end week with a net gain of 2.49 pct

Greek stocks ended Friday's session lower in the Athens Stock Exchange as profit taking halted a five-day rally in the market. Traders, however, said that buying activity was maintained easily absorbing the biggest part of stock offers.

The general index eased 0.60 percent to end at 2,170.05 points, with turnover a huge 473.1 million euros, of which 316.7 million euros reflected the transfer of Panafon's shares to Vodafone. The index ended the week with a net gain of 2.49 percent.

The Insurance and Textile sectors suffered the heaviest percentage losses of the day (1.81 percent and 1.60 percent, respectively), while the IT and Retail sectors scored the biggest percentage gains (0.45 percent and 0.41 percent, respectively).

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks fell 0.67 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index eased 0.04 percent and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index ended 0.71 percent lower.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 197 to 104 with another 56 issues unchanged.

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