Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-12-18

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

CONTENTS

[01] Parliament begins debate on budget for 2004

[02] 'Italian Renaissance and Greece' exhibition opens on Monday

[03] Weather Forecast: Sunshine on Friday

[04] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks edge up in bid to consolidate

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates: Friday

[01] Parliament begins debate on budget for 2004

Parliament on Thursday began debate of the government's budget for 2004.

A roll-call vote is due around midnight on Monday after five days of debate.

By means of the budget the government wants to demonstrate that economic growth will not come to an end after the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

The budget contains a growth target of 4.2 percent next year from 4.0 percent in 2003, reflecting an anticipated 7.0 percent rise in investments.

It also forecast an increase in the export of goods and services; a decline in unemployment to 8.0 percent from 9.0 percent currently; a 2.5 percent rise in productivity; and a 3.4 percent rise in real wages.

Inflation is forecast to fall to 2.5 percent in 2004 from an anticipated 3.0 percent this year.

[02] 'Italian Renaissance and Greece' exhibition opens on Monday

An exhibition entitled ''The Light of Apollo - Italian Renaissance and Greece'', will be inaugurated at the National Art Gallery in Athens on Monday.

The exhibition of 500 works, by the greatest teachers of the Renaissance, from 150 museums of the world, is comprised of 21 entities and the visitors will see the way the Italian artists comprehended and interpreted ancient Greek culture.

The insurance value of the works amounts to 700 million euros.

[03] Weather Forecast: Sunshine on Friday

Sunshine is forecast in most parts of the country with morning frost on the mainland. Northerly winds will ease off. Temperatures are to rise, especially during the day, with a minimum of 0C and maximum of 12C in Athens; and in Thessaloniki, -3C to 9C.

[04] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks edge up in bid to consolidate

The Athens bourse finished higher on Thursday in a move to consolidate, traders said.

The general share index gained 0.23 percent to end at 2,187.81 points. Turnover was 133.1 million euros.

The FTSE/ASE-20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks ended 0.24 per cent up; the FTSE/ASE-40 for medium capitalisation paper 0.30 per cent higher; and the FTSE/ASE-80 for small cap equities finished with gains of 0.69 percent.

Of stocks traded, advances led declines at 175 to 115 with 62 issues remaining unchanged.

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates: Friday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.250

Pound sterling 0.707

Danish kroner 7.502

Swedish kroner 9.155

Japanese yen 134.4

Swiss franc 1.568

Norwegian kroner 8.401

Cyprus pound 0.589

Canadian dollar 1.662

Australian dollar 1.697

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