Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-02-05

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM addresses Sustainable Development Summit

[02] Samaras meets Ecumenical Patriarch

[03] Environment Min, Ecumenical Patriarch discuss environmental protection issues

[04] Farmers abandon roadblocks

[05] Tourism Minister in Brussels

[06] ASE opening: Big decline

[01] PM addresses Sustainable Development Summit

Green development presents a historic opportunity for Greece, to bring the country out of the crisis and recession, Papandreou said in his address.

He further stressed that an opportunity had been posed at December's international UN summit on climate change in Copenhagen for taking important decisions, but this did not happen.

The next important landmark will be the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Mexico in late November, he said, stressing that "we must take decisions that combine the green economy with the prosperity of our citizens".

The Greek premier will continue his series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the two-day DSDS, which concludes on Friday.

[02] Samaras meets Ecumenical Patriarch

After the meeting Samaras paid tribute to the mission of the Ecumenical Patriarch. "The Ecumenical Patriarch and I are connected with long-standing friendship and I am deeply touched, as we all are, to see him again and wish him strength in his work, which is invaluable work for Hellenism and Orthodoxy, of which he is a lasting symbol".

Samaras wished Bartholomew strength to continue his mission, and expressed his support for the Ecumenical Patriarch's efforts and hopes.

[03] Environment Min, Ecumenical Patriarch discuss environmental protection issues

Their meeting focused on issues concerning climate change and Greece's presence at the Copenhagen Summit, and they agreed that humanity must be united before the major threat of climate change.

The minister praised the Ecumenical Patriarchate's international initiatives on environmental protection and briefed the Patriarch on her newly-established ministry's own initiatives and priorities.

The two sides also agreed to look into prospects for cooperation on promoting joint actions on the environment.

"The meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch confirmed the Patriarchate's exceptionally rich and substantial ecological activity and provided an opportunity to exchange valuable views on the crucial problems of climate change and the loss of biodiversity," stressed Birbili, adding "the Ecumenical Patriarch, who is deservedly acknowledged internationally as the 'Green Patriarch', showed great interest in our Ministry's initiatives on the development of renewable energy sources and also on the protection of our forestland."

[04] Farmers abandon roadblocks

Farmers at the Kedryllia, Strymonikos, Amfipolis intersections in Serres and Vogatsiko in Kastoria have already started pulling out of the roadblocks and later in the day farmers will withdraw their tractors from the rest of the roadblocks.

[05] Tourism Minister in Brussels

In her address, Gerekou stressed inter alia that "for us Greeks, tourism is not an activity of 'secondary importance' but one of the sectors of the Greek economy. Today, a new tourism policy is being developed and the state is facing the issue of tourism as a field in which we must invest, in order to develop and further augment its potential. Greece is a country that has many possibilities, and in our new tourism policy we want to and showcase and project them".

Moreover, Gerekou referred in detail to the priority on developing all forms of tourism, both traditional and alternative forms, with the emphasis on environmental protection. She also clarified that the new policies in the tourism sector aim at rendering Greece a year-round destination and not only for the summer season.

[06] ASE opening: Big decline

Individual sector indices were moving downward, with the biggest losses in Health, down 3.83 percent and Public Utilities, down 3.24 percent.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks was down 1.79 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index was down 2.03 percent, and the FTSE/ASE-80 small cap index was down 1.79 percent.

Of the stocks moved, 10 were up, 80 were down, and 18 were unchanged.

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