Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-02-06

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

CONTENTS

[01] Ministry donates pharmaceuticals to Bulgarian hospital

[02] ND leader outlines Athens' rejection of 'Euro-force' formula

[03] Foreign Exchange Rates - Thursday

[04] Weather Forecast: Scattered cloud on Thursday

[05] Greek stocks's fall reaches day four

[01] Ministry donates pharmaceuticals to Bulgarian hospital

SOFIA (ANA - M. Borisov) - Representatives of the "Chemists of the World" international organisation's Greek section delivered antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals worth 44,000 euros, constituting a donation by the Greek health ministry, to the Saint Anne hospital here on Wednesday.

The pharmaceuticals were delivered to the hospital's director Dimitr Dimitrov on behalf of the Greek organisation during an official ceremony, attended by Bulgarian Red Cross officials and Greek diplomats.

According to an announcement by the Greek embassy, the Greek government's steadfast policy is to provide aid where it is necessary and, primarily, to agencies of great social importance.

Serious problems have appeared in the Bulgarian pharmaceuticals market over the past two months for various reasons and as a result the smooth functioning of many hospitals in the country has been affected.

[02] ND leader outlines Athens' rejection of 'Euro-force' formula

LONDON (A. Panagopoulos) Main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Costas Karamanlis emphasised here after talks with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw that ?its impossible to consider? one EU member-state on an even par with a non-EU member, a direct reference to a controversial British-Turkish ?formula? over the blocs envisioned ?Euro-Army?.

The ND leader added that ?Greek citizens have the right to feel as secure as all other European citizens.?

Furthermore, Karamanlis stressed to the British side that all of Greeces political parties agree on the point of rejecting the British formula to overcome Ankaras objections vis-a-vis the ?Euro-Armys? threatening to veto projected NATO cooperation with the new defence body.

?Nothing was said about a new formula,? he said later.

Turkey, although not a European Union member, is a member of the NATO alliance.

[03] Foreign Exchange Rates - Thursday

Indicative tourist buying rates per euro

U.S. dollar 0.873

Pound sterling 0.617

Danish kroner 7.487

Swedish kroner 9.286

Japanese yen 116.47

Swiss franc 1.482

Norwegian kroner 7.891

Cyprus pound 0.580

Canadian dollar 1.399

Australian dollar 1.720

[04] Weather Forecast: Scattered cloud on Thursday

Scattered cloud is forecast throughout the country, turning to rain and probably storms in the west. Winds south-southwesterly, moderate to strong, turning very strong in the Ionian. In the north, temperatures will range from 2C to 15C; in the west from 8C to 17C; and in the rest of the country from 6C to 19C. Light cloud over Athens, with temperatures between 9C and 17C. Mostly fair in Thessaloniki with temperatures from 6C to 14C.

[05] Greek stocks's fall reaches day four

Equity prices remained under mild pressure for the fourt consecutive session on the Athens Stock Exchange on Wednesday, hit by a negative climate in international markets.

The general index ended 0.44 percent lower at 2,551.97 points, with turnover a low Dr 33.2 billion, or 97.6 million euros.

The Holding, Textiles and IT Solutions sectors suffered the heaviest percentage losses (1.13 percent, 1.06 percent and 0.80 percent, respectively), while the Construction, Insurance and Wholesale sectors scored moderate gains (0.90 percent, 0.64 percent and 0.30 percent).

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended 0.46 percent lower, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index fell 0.12 percent and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index eased 0.06 percent.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 173 to 138 with another 46 issues unchanged.

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