Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-09-10

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM Simitis, ND leader issue messages for Sept. 11 anniversary

[02] Room for more trade with Japan

[03] US tour operators reaffirm tourist interest for Greece

[04] New AIDS reported cases on the decline for 7th straight year

[05] Serb culture minister talks to ANA about improving conditions in his

[06] Delifrance to open cafe chain in Greece

[07] Weather Forecast: Unsettled on Wednesday

[08] Greek stocks drift lower in record-low turnover

[01] PM Simitis, ND leader issue messages for Sept. 11 anniversary

The date September 11 would go down in history as the day when uncertainty about the future became a feeling shared by all people and nations over the earth in the space of a few seconds, Prime Minister Costas Simitis said on Tuesday in statements to mark the anniversary of the tragic terror attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon.

''All humanity arrived at the understanding that a global catastrophe was a real possibility,'' Simitis said, while emphasising the thousands that lost their lives and the thousands of families that were still experiencing the trauma of loss.

''We are close to them, we express our support,'' the prime minister stressed.

Simitis also underlined that the terrorist strike had a negative impact on the world economy and international relations, and had harmed every country in the world.

He said that September 11 had shown that democracy and an open society were gains that had to be protected and that humanity's progress was the common business of all peoples and all nations.

''Only together can we impose the values of peace, democracy and humanism ...and ensure the defeat of those that believe in fanaticism and violence,'' the Greek premier said.

September 11 should not be an anniversary of the ''clash of cultures'' but a reminder not to let fanaticism interfere in the ''meeting of cultures'' and the brotherhood of nations, he added.

''We must not go back to the times when humanity was separated by hatred, prejudice, blind and raw violence. We must all live on this world together,'' he concluded.

Karamanlis

On his part, main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Costas Karamanlis also commented on the solemn occasion.

?A year after the terrorist attacks in the United States, which shook humanity, we must all pay tribute to the thousands of victims, many of whom were of Greek descent. Sept. 11, 2001 is a day of terror and fear; a day when world history turned a page.

?This abhorrent strike reminded all of the worlds citizens that nothing is a given and self-evident. This unprecedented incident has forced leaders and peoples to make the campaign against terrorism a priority,? the ND leader stressed.

[02] Room for more trade with Japan

Bilateral trade and economic ties between Greece and Japan are at a relatively low level, despite potential and comparative advantages, Dimitris Bakatselos, head of the Greek-Japanese Chamber of Commerce, said on Tuesday.

Bakatselos, also head of the Thessaloniki Chamber of Trade and Commerce, told a seminar on bilateral ties between the two countries that the margins for improvement were major.

The seminar was held by the two chambers with JETRO, the Japanese External Trade Organisation.

The seminar was held on the sidelines of the annual Thessaloniki International Trade Fair.

[03] US tour operators reaffirm tourist interest for Greece

Greece remained a favourable destination for American tourists despite a slowdown of outgoing tourism in the United States, the chairman of American tour operators USTOA, R. Whitley, told Greek National Tourism Organisation' head, Yiannis Patelis, on Tuesday.

Mr Patelis is currently visiting the US accompanied by the chairman of HATTA (Greek Association of Travel Agencies), Yiannis Evangelou.

Speaking to reporters in New York, Mr Patelis announced a programme of cooperation between GNTO and US universities. Under the programme, Princeton University will choose five senior students to visit Greece, to take photographs, exhibit them and write their impressions of the country.

Mr Patelis will participate in events marking the September 11 and will also meet with Archbishop of America Demetrios.

He will leave New York on Thursday to continue his tour in Canada.

[04] New AIDS reported cases on the decline for 7th straight year

BRUSSELS (ANA - M. Spinthourakis) - The European Union at large, and Greece more specifically, experienced a drop in reported cases of AIDS for a seventh straight year, according to a Eurostat report, published on Tuesday and concerning the data for 2001.

According to the report, 8,210 new cases were reported throughout the Union in 2001, while Greece contributed 86 cases to that number. Thus based on these data the ratio of new cases is 21.8 per million residents of the Union, while the ratio for Greece was 8.1 per million residents.

These numbers were drastically lower than the 1995 cases, with a ratio of 65 per million residents.

The total number of reported cases in the European Union from 1985 to 2001 was 234,513. The same number for Greece was 2,260.

[05] Serb culture minister talks to ANA about improving conditions in his country

Serbian Culture Minister Branislav Lecic on Tuesday participated in cultural events in the Attica Municipality of Amarousio entitled ''Serbia Art'', actually taking part as an actor, his vocation.

Speaking to the ANA, Lecic said that conditions in Serbia were improving following the collapse of the oligarchic, authoritarian regime established by former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic, adding that private citizens do not fear for their survival anymore.

''Today Serbian citizens claim their rights in freedom and the country began the reconstruction, achieving currency stability and combating the 'black economy' phenomena, thus establishing the preconditions for reforms and foreign investment,'' he said.

He added that those reforms were moving, albeit slowly, with citizens understanding the problems that still exist, forcing austerity measures.

A measure of the Sebian success, he said, is the return of many of Serbia's youth and scientists that left the country owing to economic troubles and the political conditions.

Speaking of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, Lecic underlined that they constitute a significant event not only for Greece, but for the region at large and the whole world at that.

He also said that due to the Olympic Games the works for the completion of European Corridor 10, passing through Serbia would be hastened. The minister also said that Serbia will participate actively in the events for the Cultural Olympiad.

[06] Delifrance to open cafe chain in Greece

Delifrance Hellas SA, a subsidiary of the French bakery chain, is to launch a chain of cafe-restaurants in Greece in two years, its managing director, Nikos Voulpiotis, said on Tuesday.

The restaurants specialising in French sandwiches are to operate under a franchising arrangement, Voulpiotis told a corporate presentation.

Sales of domestic Delifrance's products totalled 2.7 million euros, expected to rise to 3.1 million euros in 2002. The company posted losses of about 290,000 euros last year, expected to remain flat in 2002, Voulpiotis added.

The presentation was held as part of the annual Thessaloniki International Trade Fair.

[07] Weather Forecast: Unsettled on Wednesday

Changeable weather is forecast in most parts of the country with cloud, sunny spells, showers and storms, mainly in the centre and north. Winds northerly, light to moderate. In the north, temperatures will range from 14C to 28C; on the rest of the mainland from 16C to 30C; and in the islands from 20C to 29C. Temperatures in Athens between 18C and 29C; and in Thessaloniki from 17C to 27C.

[08] Greek stocks drift lower in record-low turnover

Greek stocks ended Tuesday's session slightly lower in the Athens Stock Exchange unable to follow a recovery in other European bourses.

The general index eased 0.03 percent to end at 2,036.26 points, with turnover falling at a three-year record low of 46.1 million euros.

The IT Solution, Holding and Investment sectors suffered the heaviest percentage losses of the day (1.94 percent, 1.76 percent and 1.38 percent, respectively), while the Cement (+1.81 percent), Bank (+1.29 percent) and IT (+0.27 percent) sectors scored the biggest percentage gains.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks rose 0.08 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index ended 0.07 percent higher and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index fell 0.30 percent.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 158 to 128 with another 62 issues unchanged.

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