Athens News Agency: News in English, 00-09-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] Athens-Greek-Turkish Delegations-Meeting

[02] Foreign Ministry-Yugoslavia-Statement

[03] Secondary Bond Market-Close

[04] SOCCER-RESULTS

[05] Papademos-Fuel Price-Economy

[06] Tanker Truck Strike-Gov't-Unions

[07] Foreign Exchange Market-Close

[08] Foreign Exchange Rates-Tuesday

[09] Weather Forecast-Tuesday

[10] Soulis ABEE-listing

[11] ASE-close

[12] Greece-Infosystem 2000

[13] Plaisio Computers-new acquisition

[14] Delta Holdings-new board

[15] Sound-Vision-network expansion

[01] Athens-Greek-Turkish Delegations-Meeting

The fourth meeting between Greek and Turkish delegations for the granting of technical know-how to Turkey was held in Athens on Monday.

The Greek delegation was headed by the Foreign Ministry's General Secretary for European Affairs, Ilias Plascovitis, and that of the Turkish delegation by Assistant Deputy Foreign Minister Akin Alptuna.

The delegations discussed what has taken place to date within the framework of the relevant cooperation and its prospects for further advancement.

Both sides expressed the will to cooperate for the granting of technical know-how to Turkey through seminars in Greece or in Turkey, for the training of Turkey's public administration personnel in the sectors of the economy, customs, foreign commerce, banks, environment, agriculture, justice and regional policy and development.

[02] Foreign Ministry-Yugoslavia-Statement

Greece on Monday praised the large turnout of voters in Sunday's presidential and general elections in Yugoslavia, as well as the way with which the election process went ahead, and the maturity and will of the Serbian people for democratic changes in the country.

"The large turnout and the way with which the election process went ahead prove the maturity and will of the Serbian people for democratic changes to go ahead in Yugoslavia," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Panayiotis Beglitis said in relation to Sunday's elections.

"We are expecting completion of the counting process and we express the hope that this process will be concluded smoothly and with the necessary transparency," he added.

[03] Secondary Bond Market-Close

Bond prices in the domestic secondary market on Monday finished higher in light across-the-board trade.

The Greek benchmark 10-year bond showed a yield of 6.05 percent from 6.071 percent in the last two sessions.

The Greek paper's yield spread over German bunds was 79-80 basis points from 78-79 basis points in the previous trading day.

Turnover through the central bank's electronic system totalled 22 billion drachmas from 150 billion drachmas in the session before.

Of the total, buy orders accounted for the bulk of trade.

[04] SOCCER-RESULTS

Xanthi beat Kalamata 2-1 at home in the second match of the season of the Greek soccer national league on Monday night.

Xanthi went 2-0 ahead with goals by Poursaitidis in the 19th minute and by Yianotsko in the 28th minute.

Kalamata pulled one back with Hilton in the 58th minute.

Xanthi was left with 10 players just ten minutes into the game when Kehagias was sent off after receiving two yellow cards.

Standings, points after two (2) rounds played: Olympiakos Piraeus 6 points, Panathinaikos Athens 6, Aris Thessaloniki 6, AEK Athens 6, PAOK Thessaloniki 4, Xanthi 4, Iraklis Thessaloniki 3, Ionikos 3 and Ethnikos Asteras 3.

[05] Papademos-Fuel Price-Economy

PRAGUE (ANA-A.Lidorikis) - Bank of Greece governor Lucas Papademos said on Monday that he was monitoring medium-term price movements in world oil prices to determine the impact of hikes on the domestic economy.

If the price of oil per barrel settled at 25-28 US dollars per barrel in the mid-term, then the impact would not be discernible on the economy, Papademos told reporters on the sidelines of an International Monetary Fund and World Bank meeting in the Czech capital.

The central bank governor also said that monetary authorities had no intention of hastening the drachma's slide towards its central euro zone parity.

At the same time, its parity could be adjusted earlier than originally planned on January 1, 2001, he added.

[06] Tanker Truck Strike-Gov't-Unions

Development Minister Nikos Christodoulakis said that an indefinite strike by tanker truck owners protesting fuel hikes that began on Monday had yet to affect supplies to key industries or services.

Speaking to reporters in Thessaloniki, he said that oil refineries must maintain their output.

Separately, the president of the truckers union said that he expected a heavy strike turnout on Tuesday following a low showing in the cities on Monday.

Striking owners were to occupy selected sites around Athens but an estimated turnout of around 5.0 percent of truck owners was reported at the sites.

The union estimated strike turnout at 70-80 percent of trucks in the provinces.

In another statement on Monday, Transport and Communications Minister Christos Verelis pledged that roads would remain open and refineries would not be blockaded in the strike.

[07] Foreign Exchange Market-Close

The drachma on Monday ended lower against the euro and higher versus the US dollar in the domestic foreign exchange market.

At the central bank's daily fixing, the euro was set at 339.250 drachmas from 339.180 drachmas in the previous session.

Also at the fix, the dollar was set at 386.740 drachmas from 393.010 drachmas a trading day earlier.

[08] Foreign Exchange Rates-Tuesday

Indicative rates released by the central bank for the next working day.

Tuesdays rates (buying)

Euro 336.536

U.S. dollar 383.646

German mark 172.068

French franc 051.304

Pound sterling 559.528

Irish punt 427.313

Belgian franc 008.343

Luxembourg franc 008.343

Dutch guilder 152.713

Italian lira (100) 017.381

Austrian schilling 024.457

Danish kroner 045.160

Swedish kroner 039.743

Finnish mark 056.602

Spanish peseta 002.023

Portuguese escudo 001.678

Japanese yen (100) 356.217

Swiss franc 221.117

Norwegian kroner 041.862

Cyprus pound 588.256

Canadian dollar 256.888

Australian dollar 208.836

[09] Weather Forecast-Tuesday

Scattered cloud is forecast throughout the country on Tuesday, turning showery in parts of the east and the Peloponnese. Winds will be northerly, light to strong, with high winds forecast in the Aegean. Temperatures in the north will range from 10C to 23C; on the rest of the mainland and in the Ionian from 14C to 27C; and in the Aegean islands from 20C to 26C. Light cloud over Athens with temperatures between 17C to 26C. Same in Thessaloniki, possibly turning showery, with temperatures ranging from 15C to 21C.

[10] Soulis ABEE-listing

Soulis ABEE, a manufacturer and distributor of packaging materials, will seek listing of its shares on the parallel market of the Athens Stock Exchange.

The company has filed an application with the Thessaloniki Securities Centre with Akropolis Securities acting as consultant and main underwriter of the issue.

Soulis ABEE, based in northern Greece, is the 13th company to apply for listing with the Thessaloniki Securities Centre this year.

The plan envisages the issuance of 1,100,000 common shares at nominal value of 250 drachmas each. The raised capital will be used to cover the company's capital requirements and investment programme.

Soulis reported a turnover of 2.7 billion drachmas last year.

[11] ASE-close

Equity prices ended higher on Monday, led by demand for blue chip stocks - a safety net - to hold the Athens Stock Exchange above the 4,000 level.

Traders said selective stock buying in heavy capitalisation shares was an encouraging sign for the short-term outlook of the market.

The general index ended 1.48 percent higher at 4,151.48 points, at the day's highs, with turnover a low 88.18 billion drachmas.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended at 2,366.88 points, up 1.63 percent, and the FTSE/ASE 40 index rose 0.70 percent to 538.35 points.

The parallel market index for smaller capitalisation shares ended 0.24 percent lower at 625.41 points.

[12] Greece-Infosystem 2000

A record number of 756 exhibitors from 28 countries around the world are expected to participate in the 14th Infosystem 2000, the biggest information technology trade fair in southeastern Europe and one of the most important in eastern Mediterranean, to be held in Thessaloniki, September 28-October 1.

This year's trade fair, organised by the Helexpo, has invited the most significant IT companies, state representatives and press officials in the Balkans, with strong delegations expected from Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, FYROM and Cyprus.

Greece's Interior, Public Administration and Decantralisation Ministry will present its operational programme "Kleisthenis".

Infosystem 2000 will hold the sixth Software Application Conference, organised by Helexpo with the support of Northern Greece's Software Companies' Union, under the auspices of national economy and interior ministries.

[13] Plaisio Computers-new acquisition

Plaisio Computers SA signalled its expansion in the education sector with the announcement of the purchase of a majority 51 percent stake in Elnus Research and Studies SA.

Elnus represents Middlesex University of the UK in Greece and specialises in organising and conducting scientific and educational seminars in Greece and abroad, along with offering consulting services to businesses.

[14] Delta Holdings-new board

Delta Holdings on Monday announced a recomposition of its board council following the death of its chairman, Aristides D.Daskalopoulos last week.

Dimitris Daskalopoulos will head the company as chairman and chief executive, with Panagiotis A. Tamvakakis as vice-chairman and S.Theodoropoulos, A.Folias, S.Argyros, A.Tamvakakis and O.Kyriakopoulos as board members.

A company statement said the new board will continue its course as a leading force in the food and beverages sector.

[15] Sound-Vision-network expansion

Sound-Vision, a listed electrical and electronics goods chain, on Monday launched its new sales point in Ioannina, northwestern Greece, expanding its total network to 15.

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