Athens News Agency: News in English, 04-05-11

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

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM to meet with President Bush and Vice President Cheney during US

[02] Cyprus parliament president confers with PM Karamanlis

[03] Gov't to set up crisis management groups for tourist trouble spots

[04] New chief of Army general staff takes over from Harvalas

[05] Deputy FM Valinakis hosts working lunch for Arab ambassadors, refers to

[06] Weather Forecast: Warm and sunny on Wednesday

[07] Foreign Exchange Rates: Wednesday

[08] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks rise in renewed buying

[01] PM to meet with President Bush and Vice President Cheney during US visit

WASHINGTON (ANA - T. Ellis) - Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis will be meeting US President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Parliament and Senate committees during his two-day visit to Washington next week (May 19-21).

His visit will focus on the Athens Olympic Games, the issue of Cyprus following the rejection of the Annan plan by the Greek Cypriots, the course of relations between Greece and Turkey and Europe and Turkey, the handling of international terrorism and international issues such as the Balkans, Iraq and the Middle East.

The prime minister will arrive in the US capital (at Andrews air base) on Wednesday (at midnight Greek time), coming from New York where he will be having contacts with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Archbishop of America Dimitrios and officials of the Greek American community during the previous two-day period.

Karamanlis will visit the White House on Thursday where he will meet President Bush (at 6.25 p.m.), while earlier he will be meeting Vice President Cheney (at 5 p.m.).

After their meeting, President Bush will be hosting a working dinner for him (7 p.m. to 8 p.m.) after which Karamanlis will be making statements.

After visiting the White House, the prime minister will be going to the House of Representatives where he will be meeting the members of the International Relations Committee (9.15 p.m.) and then he will be visiting the Senate where he will meet the foreign Relations Committee (10.30 p.m.). At midnight, he will be giving a press conference at his hotel.

On the next day, Karamanlis will make an address at Washington's ''Foreign Relations Council) (at 4 p.m.) and afterwards he will be leaving for Athens.

[02] Cyprus parliament president confers with PM Karamanlis

Cyprus House of Representatives (parliament) president Demetris Christofias, leader of the AKEL Cyprus communist party, said Tuesday in Athens that his party's goal was the ''development of a dialogue on re-determinint the targests in the direction of reunifying Cyprus''.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with prime minister Costas Karamanlis, which was also attended by foreign minister Petros Molyviatis and deputy foreign minister Yannis Valynakis, Christofias noted that the purpose of the meeting with Karamanlis and AKEL's talks with the president of Cyprus ''is the development of a dialogue for the re-determination of the targets in the direction of Cyprus' reunification''.

Christofias, who arrived in Athens earlier in the day, noted that since 1977 the Greek Cypriots have been committed to the goal of a bizonal, bicommunal federation for Cyprus, and stressed that ''without evading the truth, without delusions and without maximalistic targets, Cyprus will take advantage of its EU accession, attempting to shake off the insecurity of the Greek Cypriots''.

He said that what took precedence at the present stage was to confront the repercussions from the outcome of last month's referendum on the Annan plan, especially the pressures being exerted by Britain, the US and the EU.

''We must explain that the 'no' (the Greek Cypriots' overwhelming rejection of the Annan plan) does not constitution rejection of a solution (to the Cyprus problem). It is our problem. It is our home that has been burnt, and it is we that must rebuild it,'' Christofias said.

[03] Gov't to set up crisis management groups for tourist trouble spots

The government is to set up standing crisis management committees for tourist trouble spots in the wake of unseemly behaviour by visitors, especially Britons.

Following recent consultations with British Ambassador David Madden and the British consul in Rhodes, Tourism Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos said the committees would aim to avert or handle trouble in key tourist areas including Rhodes, Corfu and Crete.

Ministry sources said that Avramopoulos and Madden agreed that poor behaviour by a minority of tourists had brought bad publicity for both countries.

In addition, the tourism ministry is to announce a code of behaviour for tourists that authorities will be asked to see implemented.

[04] New chief of Army general staff takes over from Harvalas

The new chief of the Army General Staff Lieutenant General Nikolaos Douvas on Tuesday took over from outgoing army chief Panagiotis Harvalas, during a ceremony attended by Defence Minister Spilios Spiliotopoulos, Deputy defence minister Vassilis Mihaloliakos and the leadership of the Armed Forces.

Harvalas had submitted his resignation last week after two fatal accidents involving army troops. His resignation was accepted by the Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence (KYSEA).

[05] Deputy FM Valinakis hosts working lunch for Arab ambassadors, refers to Cyprus

Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Valinakis on Tuesday hosted a working lunch in honour of the ambassadors to Athens of the Arab countries.

The very good relations which Greece has with the Arab countries was reconfirmed during the working lunch held at the foreign ministry.

Valinakis had the opportunity to reiterate Greek positions on the Cyprus issue and the need for the necessary climate to be secured so that the prospect and momentum for a political settlement and the reunification of the island can remain strong.

He noted that the eventuality of the recognition of the pseudo-state in the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus should be avoided as this would distance the prospects of a solution to the Cyprus problem.

Within this framework, he referred in particular to the contribution which the Arab countries can give in the Organisation of the Islamic Conference.

They also discussed recent developments in the Palestinian issue and Iraq as well as the recent Euro-Mediterranean cooperation conference.

The ambassadors expressed their gratitude over Greece's stance as a member of the European Union on these matters.

[06] Weather Forecast: Warm and sunny on Wednesday

Warm sunny weather is forecast in all parts of the country. Winds northwesterly, light to moderate. Temperatures in Athens from 16C to 28C and in Thessaloniki between 15C and 26C.

[07] Foreign Exchange Rates: Wednesday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.189

Pound sterling 0.677

Danish kroner 7.500

Swedish kroner 9.243

Japanese yen 135.3

Swiss franc 1.554

Norwegian kroner 8.262

Cyprus pound 0.590

Canadian dollar 1.655

Australian dollar 1.714

[08] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks rise in renewed buying

The Athens bourse finished higher in renewed buying following five straight declines, traders said.

The general share index gained 1.19 per cent to end at 2,450.01 points. Turnover was 154.8 million euros.

The FTSE/ASE-20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks ended 1.36 per cent up; the FTSE/ASE-40 for medium capitalisation paper 1.28 per cent up; and the FTSE/ASE-80 for small cap equities gained 1.20 per cent.

Of stocks traded, advances led declines at 213 to 86 with 61 issues remaining unchanged.

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