Athens News Agency: News in English, 04-03-23

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM insists on 'middle way' strategy in message to ruling party MPs

[02] Development ministry warns against unjustified price hikes

[03] Works of Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly conclude

[04] Turkish warplanes infringe Athens FIR, violate national airspace

[05] PM congratulates Russian President Vladimir Putin on his re-election

[06] Weather Forecast: Showers, storms on Wednesday

[07] Foreign Exchange Rates: Wednesday

[08] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks rise in wake of declines

[09] PM Karamanlis abhors acts of violence in Middle East

[01] PM insists on 'middle way' strategy in message to ruling party MPs

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis on Tuesday sent out a message of political moderation that shunned exaggeration and extremes and regarded as its enemy the problems rather than the politicians belonging to the other camp.

Addressing the first meeting of ruling New Democracy's parliamentary group, Karamanlis stressed that the new government would respect citizens regardless of how they had voted and would honour this promise to the letter, noting that this was the time of ''proof, confirmation and action''.

He said that ND had succeeded in winning the electorate's trust and not just their vote, and must now secure and strengthen its ''deep roots'' in society and spread this sense of trust further.

Noting that this was the start of a new era for Greece, Karamanlis said there was a clear demand for head-on confrontation with day-to-day problems that ND had the will and honesty to answer.

He also stressed that the essence of ND's policies were people.

[02] Development ministry warns against unjustified price hikes

The government will not hesitate to take harsh measures against the

market if, until its policy begun bearing fruit, it founded speculative attitudes, Development Deputy Minister Yiannis Papathanasiou said on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Papathanasiou added that the ministry would

intensify price inspections and would seek ''strict measures on adhering to hygiene rules and consumer information'' by the market.

The Greek minister said that a Competition Commission would have to

play an increase role in the market and criticized previous governments' policies regarding the Commission's operations.

Pantelis Panteliadis, president of the Federation of Greek

Super-Market Enterprises (SESME), speaking to reporters said prices rose up to 4.0 percent after the March 7 general elections, althought there were isolated cases of price increase up to 7.0 percent.

Mr Panteliadis said that most price increases have been recorded in

the ''non-food'' sector.

''No industry can afford an indefinite price freeze,'' he said after

meeting with Development Deputy Minister Yiannis Papathanasiou.

[03] Works of Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly conclude

The sessions of the first Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly concluded in Athens on Tuesday with the adoption of a proclamation with which the countries participating in the Barcelona Process are committed to cooperating more closely for the strengthening of peace, stability and prosperity in the Mediterranean region.

According to regulations, the president of the Parliament of Egypt, Ahmet Fati Sorur, was elected the first president of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly while Greek Parliament President Anna Psarouda-Benaki was elected vice president. It was decided that the next meeting will be held in Cairo in 2005.

On the other hand, according to a relevant Parliament announcement, Parliament President Anna Benaki-Psarouda discussed current issues with her counterparts from Syria and Jordan whom she met on the sidelines of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly.

Psarouda-Benaki condemned the recent events in the Middle East and underlined ''the interest of the Greeks, of a people with good relations with all the Arabs and the Israelis to contribute in the stability of the situation in the region.''

The Parliament President referred to the long-term and historic bonds with Syria and Jordan and underlined the Greek Parliament's intention to deepen relations on a parliamentary level.

[04] Turkish warplanes infringe Athens FIR, violate national airspace

Six formations of Turkish warplanes infringed on Athens's Flight Information Region (FIR) an equal number of times on Tuesday which developed in 31 violations of Greek national airspace in the Dodecanese region (Kos, Rhodes and Karpathos), press reports said.

In all cases, the 12 Turkish aircraft were recognised and intercepted by Greek jets, while in five cases the interception process developed into a mock engagement.

It was reported that four of the Turkish warplanes recognised and intercepted were armed.

[05] PM congratulates Russian President Vladimir Putin on his re-election

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday afternoon, during which he congratulated him on his recent re-election to the Russian presidency and discussed bilateral relations.

[06] Weather Forecast: Showers, storms on Wednesday

Scattered showers and storms are forecast in the west, centre and north. Winds south-southwesterly, moderate to strong, turning very strong at sea. Temperatures in Athens 12C to 17C and in Thessaloniki from 9C to 13C.

[07] Foreign Exchange Rates: Wednesday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.237

Pound sterling 0.671

Danish kroner 7.506

Swedish kroner 9.301

Japanese yen 132.2

Swiss franc 1.564

Norwegian kroner 8.499

Cyprus pound 0.590

Canadian dollar 1.649

Australian dollar 1.648

[08] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks rise in wake of declines

The Athens bourse finished higher on Tuesday, with buyers returning to the fold after a spate of declines, traders said.

The general share index gained 1.10 per cent to end at 2,301.33 points. Turnover was 118.5 million euros.

The FTSE/ASE-20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks ended 0.92 per cent up; the FTSE/ASE-40 for medium capitalisation paper 2.32 per cent higher; and the FTSE/ASE-80 for small cap equities gained 2.55 per cent.

Of stocks traded, advances led declines at 266 to 58 with 41 issues remaining unchanged.

[09] PM Karamanlis abhors acts of violence in Middle East

Prime minister Costas Karamanlis on Tuesday expressed abhorrence over the violence in the Middle East, speaking at a meeting of his ruling New Democracy party's (ND) parliamentary group.

Karamanlis said that such acts of violence "not only do not aid the cause of peace, but also risk giving rise to more vicious circles of blind violence".

The premier added that the international community "has responsibilities to shoulder its obligations".

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