Athens News Agency: News in English, 04-04-15

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

CONTENTS

[01] Weather Forecast: Mostly sunny on Friday

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates: Friday

[03] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks nose up in rangebound trade

[04] Karamanlis: More positive than negative in Annan plan

[05] Greek leadership concludes closed-door meeting on Annan peace plan for

[01] Weather Forecast: Mostly sunny on Friday

Sunny weather is forecast in most parts of the country, with scattered cloud in the west possibly turning to rain in the northern Ionian and Epirus. Winds variable, moderate to very strong. Temperatures in Athens from 12C to 21C and in Thessaloniki between 10C and 19C.

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates: Friday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.200

Pound sterling 0.673

Danish kroner 7.503

Swedish kroner 9.260

Japanese yen 130.4

Swiss franc 1.564

Norwegian kroner 8.338

Cyprus pound 0.590

Canadian dollar 1.613

Australian dollar 1.628

[03] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks nose up in rangebound trade

The Athens bourse finished higher on Thursday in a rangebound market, traders said.

The general share index gained 0.19 per cent to end at 2,445.20 points. Turnover was 100.6 million euros.

The FTSE/ASE-20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks ended 0.14 per cent up; the FTSE/ASE-40 for medium capitalisation paper 0.20 per cent lower; and the FTSE/ASE-80 for small cap equities dropped 0.29 per cent.

Of stocks traded, declines led advances at 132 to 147 with 77 issues remaining unchanged.

[04] Karamanlis: More positive than negative in Annan plan

Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis on Thursday indirectly backed the Annan peace for Cyprus, hours after a meeting of Greeces top political leadership, while stressing that in any case, ?Greece will be, unshakeable as always, by its (Cyprus') side, regardless of the referendums result?.

Karamanlis underlined that he is announcing his decisions with respect to the Republic of Cyprus, its government and its citizens, before weighing in more on the positive aspects of the plan.

?There are positive and negative points in the plan. We cannot allow the injustices to affect us in the long run. I believe that we can exploit the positive (elements) within the framework of the EU dynamics, which will take the edge off the plans difficult points,? Karamanlis said in a closely watched address.

Moreover, the newly elected Greek premier (March 7), said that the positive elements are greater than the negative ones when judged within the European Union prism.

In case a ?yes? vote is recorded in the April 24 referenda, Karamanlis the nephew and namesake of Greek statesman Constantine Karamanlis said Athens will stand by the new and unified state, while noting that the prospects for a Cyprus solution cannot be lost if a ?no? vote wins the day. ?Efforts must continue to bridge the gape between the two communities,? he said in nationally televised statements.

[05] Greek leadership concludes closed-door meeting on Annan peace plan for Cyprus

Greeces political leaders concluded a closed-door meeting on Thursday afternoon focusing squarely on the Cyprus issue, in light of two separate referenda for the two communities on the island republic on April 24.

The meeting was chaired by President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos, and convened after a request by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis. The other Parliament-represented party leaders in attendance were main opposition PASOK leader George Papandreou, Communist Party of Greece (KKE) general secretary Aleka Papariga and Coalition of the Left (Synaspismos) president Nikos Constantopoulos. Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis also participated in the session.

A brief press release issued by the presidency shortly after the meeting concluded, at roughly 3 p.m. (local time), merely cited the topics of discussion the referenda, the Annan peace plan itself as well as political developments following a ?yes? or ?no? vote on the island republic while adding that political leaders outlined their positions.

Finally, the press release stressed that party leaders will announce their parties positions individually.

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