Athens News Agency: News in English, 01-08-03

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

CONTENTS

[01] UK tourists to Greece seen rising

[02] Panafon-Vodafone to launch Albanian operation

[03] Quest first to get phone licence after deregulation

[04] Foreign Exchange Rates: Friday

[05] Passaris' accomplice charged under organised crime law

[06] EU warns Greece to comply with fuel specifications

[07] Weather Forecast: Sunny skies on Friday

[08] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks rise sharply

[01] UK tourists to Greece seen rising

Tourists from the United Kingdom to Greece are expected to total 3.0 million in 2001, up 7.0-8.0 percent from a year earlier, the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO) said on Thursday.

In 2002, a 5.0 percent rise on 2001 is expected, GNTO said in a statement.

[02] Panafon-Vodafone to launch Albanian operation

Panafon-Vodafone,a Greek subsidiary of the UK mobile phone operator, announced on Thursday thatits joint venture with the parent company had launched operations in Albania.

Vodafone Albania, is 49-percent owned by the Greek firm, and 51-percent owned by the Vodafone Group Plc.

It obtained a permit from the Albanian authorities less than six months ago to establish a mobile phone network.

Investment in the project until March 2002 is estimated at more than 55 million euros.

[03] Quest first to get phone licence after deregulation

Quest Wireless SA is the first company to receive a fixed-line wireless phone operating licence since the domestic market was deregulated recently.

The company has signed a contract with Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE), which formerly held a monopoly in telecoms, that gives it access to the state telecom's network.

The telecoms monopoly was abolished in line with European Union rules.

[04] Foreign Exchange Rates: Friday

Indicative buying rates

U.S. dollar 384.637

German mark 172.829

French franc 051.531

Pound sterling 550.075

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 45.382

Swedish kroner 36.626

Finnish mark 056.852

Spanish peseta 002.032

Portuguese escudo 001.686

Japanese yen (100) 310.054

Swiss franc 223.941

Norwegian kroner 042.274

Cyprus pound 588.972

Canadian dollar 250.110

Australian dollar 199.408

[05] Passaris' accomplice charged under organised crime law

New laws for organised crime and terrorism were applied for the first time in Greece on Thursday in charges brought against 24-year-old Dimitris Polydoropoulos, an accomplice of escaped convict Costas Passaris.

Police bungled an attempt to arrest Passaris on Wednesday and he successfully evaded capture after walking into an ambush set up in Polydoropoulos' apartment.

Polydoropoulos was charged with forming a criminal organisation as per the new laws, illegal possession of arms and ammunition jointly with Passaris and possession and dealing in narcotics. He also faces lesser charges or harbouring a wanted criminal and illegal possession and operation of radio receivers.

Passaris was charged in his absence for illegally carrying a firearm because he was holding a gun when he let himself into Polydoropoulos' apartment in Neos Kosmos on Wednesday.

[06] EU warns Greece to comply with fuel specifications

BRUSSELS (ANA/M.Spinthourakis) - The European Union's executive Commission is to warn Greece and three other member states to comply with the EU's method of calculating the quality of fuel.

An EU directive containing the technical specifications based on health and environmental considerations for gasoline and diesel have yet to incorporated into Greek national law, the Commission said in a statement on Thursday.

The warning the Commission will send to Greece, Italy, Austria and the United Kingdom is the last stage before recourse to the European Court, the statement added.

[07] Weather Forecast: Sunny skies on Friday

Sunshine is forecast throughout the country on Friday, with the east and south likely to see some scattered cloud. Winds northerly, light to very strong, turning gale force in the Aegean. In the west and north, temperatures will range from 20C to 36C; on the rest of the mainland from 22C to 34C; and in Aegean islands from 25C to 31C. Sunny in Athens with temperatures between 25C and 33C. Same in Thessaloniki, with temperatures from 23C to 34C.

[08] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks rise sharply

The Athens bourse rose on Thursday for a third straight session with players focusing on small and medium capitalisation paper but also buying into blue chips and heavily traded stocks.

The general share index gained 1.84 percent to end at 2,791.11 points. Turnover was 186.9 million euros, including block trades of 13.6 million euros.

The market has been trying to consolidate after breaking through key resistance at 2,640 points last week.

The FTSE/ASE-20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks ended 1.90 percent higher; the FTSE/ASE-40 for medium capitalisation paper 2.76 percent up; and the FTSE/ASE-80 for small cap equities gained 2.57 percent.

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