Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-10-19

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM squarely blames lack of Cyprus issue progress on Turkish side

[02] Greece-Turkey Working Group holds talks in Athens

[03] Greek, Turkish travel agents agree closer cooperation

[04] Athens offers grant for achaeological works in Bulgaria

[05] Alleged N17 member to be charged with six more crimes

[06] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

[07] Weather Forecast: Scattered cloud on Saturday

[08] Greek stocks drift lower on Friday

[01] PM squarely blames lack of Cyprus issue progress on Turkish side

Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Friday criticised what he called ''the continuing intransigence'' of Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash as well as the Turkish government, stressing that the Turkish side was responsible for the lack of substantial progress towards a resolution on the Cyprus problem.

In statements after a nearly two-hour meeting with visiting Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides, the Greek premier said the process for a resolution of the Cyprus problem based on UN resolutions had not recorded any progress, while adding that both the Greek and Greek Cypriot sides have agreed on the need for continuous support of UN Secretary Generals efforts toward a solution.

Regarding Cyprus' all-important EU accession course, he said that it was progressing normally, as opposed to the island republics political issue. He also again referred to Helsinki summit decisions that do not consider a resolution of the political problem as a precondition for Cyprus' EU accession.

Simitis said the ongoing crucial phase in talks, as well as Cyprus EU accession, dominated his meeting with Clerides, intended as an exchange of views between Athens and Nicosia and for planning the next steps.

Simitis reiterated that there would be coordination between Athens and Nicosia in the light of the upcoming European Council in Copenhagen and announced that he would soon depart for a European tour of capitals to meet with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac, Italian President Silvio Berlusconi and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, in preparation for the Council.

[02] Greece-Turkey Working Group holds talks in Athens

Following understanding between Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou and his Turkish counterpart Sukru Sina Gurel on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, a meeting was held in Athens on Friday of the Working Group for the granting to Turkey of technical know-how for the adoption of the acquis communautaire.

According to a foreign ministry press release, discussed at the meeting, which was attended by officials of the two countries' foreign ministries, were developments in EU-Turkey relations in light of the EU summit in Copenhagen in December, and the planning of the Task Force's work for the immediate future.

[03] Greek, Turkish travel agents agree closer cooperation

Greek and Turkish travel agent unions agreed to cooperate more closely in the tourist sector ahead of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and in a joint bid to host the 2008 European Football Cup.

The two unions, HATTA and TURSAB respectively, exchanged information over efforts to attract Chinese tourists in Greece and Turkey, with the Turkish union recommending that Chinese tourists visiting Istanbul would be offered a visit to Greece in the same package (2 center holidays).

HATTA and TURSAB also discussed ways to organise and offer joint travel packages to foreign tourists.

Turkish travel agents expressed their interest in cooperating with HATTA in transport issues during the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, by offering Turkish buses. They also proposed closer cooperation in the tourist sector in a joint Greek-Turkish bid to host the Euro 2008 football cup.

The two sides also agreed to increased participation in international tourist trade fairs to be held in the two countries.

[04] Athens offers grant for achaeological works in Bulgaria

SOFIA (ANA - B. Borisov) - Greek ambassador to Sofia Michael Christidis on Friday handed a grant to the director of the Sofia's National Museum of History Bozidar Dimitrov.

The 15-thousand-Euro grant was offered on the part of the Greek government and particularly the ministry of culture, in support of the excavations at the necropolis of ancient Apollonia in the region of the Bulgarian city of Sozopolis.

[05] Alleged N17 member to be charged with six more crimes

Alleged ''November 17'' terrorist Vasilis Xiros is expected to be charged with six additional charges on Monday.

The youngest member of the Xiros family, brother to Savvas and Christodoulos Xiros also charged with murderous terrorist actions, has already been charged with two attempted murders, bomb placement and robberies.

According to sources, Vasilis Xiros is expected to deny all new charges.

[06] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 0.981

Pound sterling 0.633

Danish kroner 7.489

Swedish kroner 9.168

Japanese yen 122.8

Swiss franc 1.479

Norwegian kroner 7.460

Cyprus pound 0.576

Canadian dollar 1.542

Australian dollar 1.780

[07] Weather Forecast: Scattered cloud on Saturday

Scattered cloud is forecast in all parts of the country, with brief showers likely in the north. Early morning mist is expected on the mainland and over the Ionian. Winds variable, moderate. In the north, temperatures will range from 10C to 22C; in the west from 12C to 25C; and in the rest of the country from 13C to 27C. Temperatures in Athens between 16C and 26C; and in Thessaloniki from 15C to 21C.

[08] Greek stocks drift lower on Friday

Greek stocks remained under pressure to end lower in the last trading session of a nervous week in the Athens Stock Exchange, following a trend in international markets, although buying activity for blue chips helped the market end off the day's lows.

The general index fell 0.38 percent to end at 1,819.66 points, with turnover a low 73.8 million euros.

The Holding, Construction and Cement sectors suffered the heaviest percentage losses of the day (2.42 percent, 1.89 percent and 1.57 percent, respectively), while the Insurance, Metals and Food-Beverage sectors scored the biggest percentage gains (4.23 percent, 1.24 percent and 0.86 percent).

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks fell 0.02 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index eased 0.51 percent and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index ended 0.47 percent lower.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 151 to 132 with another 72 issues unchanged.

The general index ended the week with a net gain of 0.69 percent.

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