Athens News Agency: News in English, 00-04-21

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

CONTENTS

[01] Greece - Turkey - GSEE President

[02] Greece - Turkey - Chambers

[03] Greece-China-Talks

[04] Foreign Exchange Rates-Monday

[05] Weather Forecast-Saturday

[06] Jiang Zemin - Arrival - Greece

[07] Kaklamanis - Re-election - Parliament

[08] ADEX-close

[09] Simitis-new economic advisor

[10] ASE-close

[11] Yannis Latsis - Hospital release

[01] Greece - Turkey - GSEE President

ISTANBUL (ANA- A. Kourkoulas) - General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) President Christos Polyzogopoulos on Friday handed to Turkish trade union organisations the sum of $90,000 collected by Greek workers as aid for the victims of last summer's devastating earthquake.

"We shall never forget the assistance of the Greek government and the Greek people," responded Bayram Meral, president of the Turkish Workers' Confederation (Turk-Is), according to the Anatolia newsagency.

Polyzogopoulos said the two countries' trade unions had made significant steps for the consolidation of friendship between the two peoples.

The aid funds were distributed in equal parts among the Turkish Workers' Confederation (Turk-Is), the Confederation of Workers' Rights (Hak-Is), the State Foundation of Trade Unions (DISK) and the Workers' Foundation (KESK).

[02] Greece - Turkey - Chambers

Greek and Turkish business leaders on Friday explored possibilities for closer ties between the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EBEA) and the counterpart chambers of Ankara and Izmir.

The meeting took place in the framework of the Greek-Turkish Business Forum and the ongoing first ever exhibition of Turkish products in Athens. Participants agreed to form a working group which will study the areas lending themselves to further cooperation.

[03] Greece-China-Talks

People's Republic of China President Jiang Zemin arrived in Greece from Turkey early on Friday afternoon for a three-day official visit and held talks immediately after with President Kostis Stephanopoulos and Prime Minister Costas Simitis on bilateral relations and major international problems.

The official welcoming ceremony for President Zemin at the Presidential Mansion was attended by Prime Minister Simitis, Foreign Minister George Papandreou, National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou, Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis, Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos and the armed forces' leadership.

[04] Foreign Exchange Rates-Monday

Following are indicative foreign exchange rates for commercial banks released by the central bank for the next working day.

Monday's rates (buying)

Euro 332.866

U.S. dollar 355.007

[05] Weather Forecast-Saturday

Cloud turning to showers or storms are forecast throughout the country on Saturday.

The morning will be misty in mainland Greece.

[06] Jiang Zemin - Arrival - Greece

The President of the People's Republic of China Jiang Zemin arrived in Athens on Friday for a three-day official visit at the invitation of Greek President Kostis Stephanopoulos.

Zemin is also scheduled to meet with Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, who will also hold a dinner in honor of the Chinese leader on Saturday evening.

[07] Kaklamanis - Re-election - Parliament

Apostolos Kaklamanis was re-elected the Greek Parliament's president on Friday with the votes of 156 deputies out of the legislatures 300.

Out of 299 deputies present in the hall, 156 opted for ruling PASOKs Kaklamanis, while 138 ballots were left blank and five recorded as invalid.

The veteran legislator from Athens second election district received practically all of the ruling partys votes -- PASOK has 158 deputies in Parliament. Conversely, main opposition New Democracy fields 125 deputies, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) 11 and the Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) six.

Manos

Meanwhile, one-time ND minister Stephanos Manos has informed Kaklamanis that he will be listed as an independent deputy in Parliament. Manos, who founded the small Liberals Party after breaking with ND, ultimately ran under New Democracys banner during the April 9 poll and was re-elected. Giorgos Psaharopoulos, the other Liberals candidate elected to Parliament after being placed on NDs state deputies slate, will also be listed as an independent, Manos wrote in a letter to Kaklamanis.

[08] ADEX-close

Derivatives prices continue moving higher on the Athens Derivatives Exchange, extending their previous two days' gains on Friday. Trade was subdued with turnover a moderate 9.2 billion drachmas.

A total of 1,434 futures contracts were traded on the FTSE/ASE 20 index, with a turnover of 6.9 billion drachmas. The April expiring contract ended at 2,486.75 points, the May at 2,475 and the June contract at 2,477 points.

A total of 1,080 contracts were traded on the FTSE/ASE 40 index, worth 2.3 billion drachmas. The April expiring contract ended at 594.75 points, the May at 581.50 and the June contract at 579 points.

[09] Simitis-new economic advisor

Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Friday appointed Gkikas-Hardouvelis, a professor of finance and bank administration at the University of Piraeus, as his chief economic aide to replace Anastasios Yiannitsis, who took over the labour portfolio in the new government.

Hardouvelis is also an adviser to National Bank of Greece and a research partner at the Economic Policy Research Centre in London. He is a member of the scientific council at Union of Greek Banks and its representative to the European Banks' Union.

He is a board member in National Securities SA and the Athens Derivatives Exchange.

Hardouvelis has a doctorate in finance from the University of California at Berkley and served as a professor at Columbia University in New York as well as at Rutgers in New Jersey.

He also served as an adviser to the US Federal Reserve Bank for seven years and as an adviser to the Bank of Greece on EMU matters.

Hardouvelis has published several articles in international science and financial journals.

[10] ASE-close

Equity prices ended the last trading session of the week on Friday with gains reflecting an improved climate on the Athens Stock Exchange.

Dealers said that the market seemed to have found new balancing levels following two weeks of high volatility. A wave of profit-taking was easily absorbed by renewed demand for stocks, particularly in the Construction sector and for smaller capitalisation shares.

The general index ended 1.88 percent higher at 4,395.16 points, off the day's highs of 4,416 and the day's lows of 4,314 points. Turnover was a moderate 127 billion drachmas.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended at 2,488.09 points, up 1.23 percent and the FTSE/ASE 40 index jumped 3.64 percent to end at 594,52 points.

The parallel market index for smaller capitalisation stocks ended at 782.96 points, up 5.83 percent.

[11] Yannis Latsis - Hospital release

Octogenarian shipping tycoon Yannis Latsis, probably the last remaining maverick Greek shipowner associated with the sectors ?golden heyday? after World War II, was released from an Athens hospital on Friday after a reported viral infection kept him hospitalised for more than a week.

Attending physicians informed reporters at a press briefing of Latsis departure about half an hour after the shipowner had left the private hospital.

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