Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-12-11

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] Greek FM addresses global Information Society summit on e-democracy

[02] Greek FM criticises US decision on Iraq after meeting Annan in Geneva

[03] Greek leadership addresses expatriates' conferences in Thessaloniki

[04] Olympic Airlines spreads its wings on Friday

[05] ATHOC to mail the first 2,000 letters to candidate 2004 Games'

[06] Weather Forecast: Cloud, showers on Friday

[07] ATHOC to mail the first 2,000 letters to candidate 2004 Games'

[08] Foreign Exchange Rates: Friday

[09] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks nose up, holding support

[01] Greek FM addresses global Information Society summit on e-democracy

GENEVA (ANA - F. Karaviti) - Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou was the central speaker during an open debate on e-democracy held during the World Summit on the Information Society on Thursday, which was organised by the Greek delegation and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

Papandreou referred to the need to secure access and opportunity for as many people as possible to participate in the creation of the new international state of affairs.

''Despite the fact that globalisation is a source of significant financial, social and cultural wealth, it is simultaneously the cause of new problems for the less developed societies,'' Papandreou said.

One of the biggest challenges now facing democratic leaderships was how to create fairer and more representative democracies, he added.

The Greek minister used the example of the initiatives undertaken by Greece during its European Union presidency, where over 175,000 people had an opportunity to express their opinion on a range of issues - such as immigration, narcotics, enlargement and the future of Europe - through an e-vote.

At the same time, he noted that only 20 per cent of Greeks used the Internet, a percentage that was below the EU average.

On the problem of ensuring equal participation in the information society by all people on the planet, Papandreou made specific proposals for infrastructure that would be available and user-friendly for everyone, such as telephony or education.

[02] Greek FM criticises US decision on Iraq after meeting Annan in Geneva

GENEVA (ANA - F. Karaviti) Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou on Thursday said it would be ''useful'' if the United States were to review its decision to exclude countries that had opposed the war in Iraq from bidding for contracts to rebuild the country.

Papandreou made the statement after emerging from a meeting here with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, on the sidelines of the World Summit for an Information Society (WSIS), during which they discussed the Cyprus issue, the situation in Iraq and Greek initiatives to promote a global information society.

The Greek minister said he agreed with Annan on the need for unity in the international effort for Iraq's reconstruction.

He stressed that this particularly important, given that many countries that had absolutely nothing to do with the armed conflict were now being asked - by the United States, among others - to make a substantial financial contribution to this effort.

The Greek minister said the meeting had also given an opportunity for him to convey the desire of the Greek and Cypriot governments to continue negotiations for a solution to the Cyprus problem based on Annan's peace plan for Cyprus, which were abruptly ended a year earlier.

At the same time, he stressed that such a solution will have to take into account the fact that Cyprus was now a member of the European Union and that any such changes would have to allow the island to fully participate in European structures.

[03] Greek leadership addresses expatriates' conferences in Thessaloniki

Greeces top political leadership addressed Thursdays session of the World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE) fifth international conference, which is taking place in the northern city of Thessaloniki.

President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos told the ethnic Greek delegates from around the world that overseas Hellenisms primary goal should be to promote the opportunities and abilities offered by modern Greece, whereas Prime Minister Costas Simitis asked delegates to promote the country as much as possible.

?Thirty years since a summer of national disaster, the summer of 1974, Greece reaches the point of successfully hosting the Olympic Games, in the summer of 2004, along with the prospect of solving major national issues, such as the Cyprus problem and the Aegeans continental shelf by December 2004,? Simitis said.

On his part, Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis referred to a heightened promotion of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, while main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Costas Karamanlis echoed the formers statements, saying the ?metropolitan centre? needs expatriate Greeks as its ?strong voice? in order to convey the message of perfectly organised and secure Olympics throughout the world.

[04] Olympic Airlines spreads its wings on Friday

Olympic Airlines, successor to Olympic Airways, is to spread its wings on Friday three months after the state-owned enterprise's new identity was encapsulated in parliamentary law.

The new airline spans routes covered by Olympic Aviation, Macedonian Airlines and the former Olympic Airways.

Flight attendants are continuing their 14-day strike until Saturday to protest against OA's new status.

[05] ATHOC to mail the first 2,000 letters to candidate 2004 Games' volunteers

The first 2,000 letters of acceptance will be sent to the candidate Athens 2004 Olympic Games volunteers over the next few days, ATHOC Managing Director Yiannis Spanoudakis said on Thursday.

Speaking at the 5th International Conference of Expatriate Greeks in Thessaloniki, he also said that volunteers will have to answer, once they receive the letter, whether they accept the position they were assigned and then they will be called to sign a contract.

He added that volunteers from abroad will not have to go through a personal interview, due to logistical reasons, but they will have to answer a questioner and return it by mail, this special arrangement was made since some 40,000 applicants do not reside in Greece.

[06] Weather Forecast: Cloud, showers on Friday

Cloud is forecast throughout the country with showers in many parts of the country. The east will remain dry. Winds east-southeasterly, very strong to gale force. Temperatures will rise slightly, with a minimum of 9C and maximum of 16C in Athens; and in Thessaloniki, 5C to 12C.

[07] ATHOC to mail the first 2,000 letters to candidate 2004 Games' volunteers

The first 2,000 letters of acceptance will be sent to the candidate Athens 2004 Olympic Games volunteers over the next few days, ATHOC Managing Director Yiannis Spanoudakis said on Thursday.

Speaking at the 5th International Conference of Expatriate Greeks in Thessaloniki, he also said that volunteers will have to answer, once they receive the letter, whether they accept the position they were assigned and then they will be called to sign a contract.

He added that volunteers from abroad will not have to go through a personal interview, due to logistical reasons, but they will have to answer a questioner and return it by mail, this special arrangement was made since some 40,000 applicants do not reside in Greece.

[08] Foreign Exchange Rates: Friday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.228

Pound sterling 0.703

Danish kroner 7.497

Swedish kroner 9.053

Japanese yen 132.9

Swiss franc 1.563

Norwegian kroner 8.238

Cyprus pound 0.588

Canadian dollar 1.622

Australian dollar 1.664

[09] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks nose up, holding support

The Athens bourse finished higher on Thursday, comfortably holding support at 2,200 points.

The general share index gained 0.15 percent to end at 2,204.60 points. Turnover was 134.3 million euros.

The FTSE/ASE-20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks ended 0.15 percent up; the FTSE/ASE-40 for medium capitalisation paper 0.12 percent higher; and the FTSE/ASE-80 for small cap equities finished with losses of 0.09 percent.

Of stocks traded, declines led advances at 182 to 117 with 67 issues remaining unchanged.

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article