Athens News Agency: News in English, 01-06-15

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

CONTENTS

[01] Egypt-Greeks-Conference

[02] AEK - Coach fired - Blochin

[03] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

[04] Weather-Saturday

[05] Shipwreck-Illegal migrants - Death toll

[06] Greece - Cyprus - EU expansion

[07] Greek stocks end Friday's session flat

[08] Rally Acropolis-Ceremony

[09] Greek passenger shipping-Minister-Parliament

[10] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

[11] High-ranking Greek diplomat cites need for int'l action in FYROM

[12] Weather-Friday

[13] Hytiris: Greek proposals included in Trajkovski's plan for FYROM crisis

[14] Parliament committee opts for allowing 39 radio stations in Attica

[15] Greek stocks plunge to 30-month lows

[01] Egypt-Greeks-Conference

The 3rd World Conference of Greeks from Egypt, organised by the Federation of Greeks from Egypt, started at a downtown Athens hotel on Friday.

The 3rd conference follows two others, one in 1984 and the other in 1992, and is attended by many Greeks from Egypt who are distinguishing themselves abroad.

The importance of the conference was indicated by the presence of many politicians who addressed the event, as well as by government and Parliament members.

"Greece is one, but the Greeks who played an important role were the best everywhere and this was the case with the Greeks from Egypt," said Deputy Press Minister Telemahos Hytiris.

The conference is being organised under the sponsorship of the Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Petros VII who was given an honourary distinction with the medal of the Federation of Greeks from Egypt for his great contribution.

[02] AEK - Coach fired - Blochin

One-time Ukrainian superstar striker and current Ionikos Piraeus coach Oleg Blochin denied press reports on Friday that hes accepted an offer to return to AEK Athens bench, only days after a controlling share of the popular club was sold to a relatively unknown expatriate Greek businessman.

Blochin successfully coached AEK from November 1998 until May 1999, leading the team to a coveted Champions League berth and second place in the Greek league amid a rocky period characterised by management instability.

The former Dynamo Kiev standout has held the coaching reins at Ionikos his current employer on two occasions, as well as with Olympiakos Piraeus his first club in Greece and PAOK Thessaloniki, twice also.

In a surprise move on Thursday, the man apparently now controlling AEKs fate, Mexico-based shipping entrepreneur Alex Sklavenitis, said Toni Savevski -- a beloved AEK player-turned-coach last season -- was ?relieved from his duties? because he ?lacked a coaching diploma?.

[03] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

Buying rates for Monday

U.S. dollar 390.231

German mark 172.829

French franc 051.531

Pound sterling 549.632

Irish punt 429.202

Belgian franc 008.379

Luxembourg franc 008.379

Dutch guilder 153.389

Italian lira (100) 017.457

Austrian schilling 024.565

Danish kroner 045.339

Swedish kroner 036.902

Finnish mark 056.852

Spanish peseta 002.032

Portuguese escudo 001.686

Japanese yen (100) 322.741

Swiss franc 221.582

Norwegian kroner 042.263

Cyprus pound 587.824

Canadian dollar 255.224

Australian dollar 205.791

[04] Weather-Saturday

Fair weather is forecast on Saturday in most parts of Greece. Winds will be northerly light to moderate. Temperature will range from 14 to 28 C in the north, 17 to 32 C in the rest of the mainland, and 20-27 C on the islands. Sunny in Athens, with temperatures 20-31 C. Same in Thessaloniki, with temperatures 18-28 C.

[05] Shipwreck-Illegal migrants - Death toll

The death toll from the Thursday's sinking of a cruiser smuggling illegal immigrants across the Aegean has risen to seven, while at least three illegals were still missing, Greek authorities said Friday.

The vessel, transporting more than 60 illegal migrants from the Turkish coast to an undetermined location, developed engine trouble and ran aground before sinking in rough waters off a rocky islet near the popular Cyclades holiday island Mykonos.

The merchant marine ministry said the vessel was transporting mostly Afghani and Kurdish illegal immigrants, including six women and seven children.

The coast guard has arrested the cruiser's owner, identified as one Panayiotis Kouvas, and the skipper, Georgios Hazakis.

Sources said the cruiser had initially set sail from Athens' Flisvos port, travelled to the Turkish coast where the migrants were loaded from an unidentified Turkish vessel.

[06] Greece - Cyprus - EU expansion

GOTEBORG (ANA) Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis clarified here on Friday that Athens considers the EUs upcoming expansion a ?pre-determined and irreversible? process, saying that any doubts cast over enlargement would reflect doubts on the 15-bloc itself.

He was speaking on the sidelines of a European Union summit in the Swedish port city.

Regarding Cyprus EU accession prospects an issue of paramount importance for Greece Simitis said Athens would exhaust all its efforts and influence to ensure that the island republic participates in the next wave of EU enlargement. His comments came in answer to a question over whether his previous warning still stands, namely, that Greece will veto the expansion process if Cyprus accession course is impeded.

However, the Greek prime minister appeared optimistic, stressing that he personally believes Cyprus will be among the first group of countries set to join the Union. Simitis also reiterated that Greece is in favour of accelerated negotiations with a handful of prospective members on track for the first wave, thereby allowing those new member-states to participate in the 2004 Euro-elections.

Finally, he said Athens is wholly in favour of an EU timetable envisioning a timetable for late 2002 for the completion of accession procedures.

[07] Greek stocks end Friday's session flat

Equity prices ended Friday's volatile session flat with the general index rebounding slightly after Thursday's sharp fall on the Athens Stock Exchange.

Traders said the market found support to a wave of buying interest in blue chip stocks - included in the MSCI index - during the last hour of trading.

The general index ended 0.21 percent higher at 2,859.66 points, off the day's highs of 2,863.04 and the day's lows of 2,820.05 points. Turnover was a low 128.05 million euros, or 43.63 billion drachmas.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended at 1,665.52 points, off 0.39 percent, the FTSE/ASE 40 index rose 1.44 percent to end at 328.29 points, and the FTSE/ASE SMALLCAP 80 index ended at 906.05 points, up 0.90 percent

The parallel market index for smaller capitalisation stocks ended at 270.96 points, off 1.98 percent.

[08] Rally Acropolis-Ceremony

The official ceremony marking the beginning of the Rally Acropolis was held at the Zappeion Mansion on Thursday night in the presence of Transport and Communications Minister Christos Verelis and Deputy

Sports Minister George Floridis.

The 48th Rally Acropolis will start with the first stage on Friday and will be completed on Sunday. This year's race has a particular interest since the seven factory teams contesting the title in the world championship will be participating. The number of participants in the contest has reached 115.

[09] Greek passenger shipping-Minister-Parliament

The Greek government is not in direct conflict with Greek passenger shipping sector and does not accept any kind of blackmail by it, Merchant Marine Minister Christos Papoutsis told Parliament on Thursday , in response to opposition expressed by Greek passenger shipping companies for the new bill regulating the activities of the sector.

The government "does not accept blackmail or threats from the shipowners of passenger shipping, who insist in not understanding that we are in a new era, which demands balance between healthy competition and the safeguarding of public interest," Papoutsis said.

He also said that shipowners should not forget that they are not conducting business in their own space as the "state gives them the right to conduct business in ports and seas that belong to the people and the state".

[10] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

Buying rates for Friday

U.S. dollar 398.072

German mark 172.829

French franc 051.531

Pound sterling 552.869

Irish punt 429.202

Belgian franc 008.379

Luxembourg franc 008.379

Dutch guilder 153.389

Italian lira (100) 017.457

Austrian schilling 024.565

Danish kroner 045.339

Swedish kroner 036.538

Finnish mark 056.852

Spanish peseta 002.032

Portuguese escudo 001.686

Japanese yen (100) 326.545

Swiss franc 221.597

Norwegian kroner 042.494

Cyprus pound 587.783

Canadian dollar 261.532

Australian dollar 208.499

[11] High-ranking Greek diplomat cites need for int'l action in FYROM

BELGRADE (ANA) A high-ranking Greek diplomat echoed official Athens position over the past few days regarding the need for some type of mutually acceptable international intervention in strife-torn FYROM.

The head of the Greek foreign ministrys international aid and cooperation service, veteran envoy Alexandros Rondos, made the statements during an interview with the ?Sense? news agency here.

?There must be an intervention in FYROM sooner or later, otherwise, the price will be very high for all; for the residents of this country and for NATO as well,? Rondos said, while pointing out that conflicts in the Balkans over the last decade have proven that the international community must act in a timely fashion.

He added that any NATO mission to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) should be expanded in scope, much along the lines of the alliances presence in adjacent Kosovo, without however, resembling an ?invasion?.

[12] Weather-Friday

Fair weather is forecast on Friday in most parts of Greece, with cloud and the possibility of rain in the north. Winds will be northerly, northwesterly light, turning to strong locally in the Ionian. Temperature will range from 17 to 27 C in the north, 18 to 30 C in the rest of the mainland, and 19-33 C on the islands. Sunny in Athens, with temperatures 20-31 C. Light cloud in Thessaloniki, with temperatures 18-26 C.

[13] Hytiris: Greek proposals included in Trajkovski's plan for FYROM crisis

Greece's proposals for resolving the crisis in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) have been incorporated in the proposals that FYROM President Boris Trajkovski plans to discuss with the republic's other parties, government spokesman Tilemachos Hytiris said on Thursday.

According to the spokesman, Athens' proposals are now being considered by Skopje, and would be discussed in the framework of talks between Trajkovski and the leaders of the other FYROM political parties on June 20-24.

Hytiris said that Prime Minister Costas Simitis had essentially proposed that the borders between FYROM and Kosovo be sealed at the NATO summit in Brussels on Wednesday.

[14] Parliament committee opts for allowing 39 radio stations in Attica

Parliament's Technology Assessment Committee on Thursday adopted an expert report that allows up to 39 radio stations to operate in Attica, transmitting from both Mount Parnitha and Mount Hymettus.

Deputy Transport Minister Alekos Voulgaris, meanwhile, pledged that a map of radio frequencies for Attica will have been completed by the end of June and talked about building radio transmitter "parks" with funding from the 3rd Community Support Framework.

By dividing the transmitters between the two mountains, the solution adopted by the committee allows the issue of 39 licences for private radio stations, in addition to the 13 frequencies occupied by state-run ERA radio. The expert scientists said that it also takes into account the safety of airline traffic at the new Athens airport in Spata and public health considerations.

Alternative proposals, where transmitters were confined to either one mountain or the other, would have allowed on 37 or 35 private radio stations to operate in Attica.

[15] Greek stocks plunge to 30-month lows

Equity prices lost substantial group on Thursday, reversing a two-day rebound, hit by short-term profit taking and renewed pressures on blue chip stocks, mainly in the telecommunications sector.

Cosmote (-3.97%), Panafon (-3.49%), and Hellenic Telecoms (-1.70%) suffered heavy losses.

The general index fell 1.58 percent to end at 2.853.55 points, off the day's lows of 2,835.36 points, to its lowest close since January 13, 1999.

Turnover was a low 165.74 million euros, or 56.48 billion drachmas.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended at 1,672.02 points, off 1.25 percent, the FTSE/ASE 40 index fell 1.36 percent to 323.63 points, and the FTSE/ASE SMALLCAP 80 index ended at 897.96 points, losing 2.44 percent.

The parallel market index for smaller capitalisation stocks ended at 268.43 points, off 1.98 percent.

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