Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-11-13

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] Weather Forecast: Mostly sunny on Wednesday

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Wednesday

[03] President Stephanopoulos briefed on contents of Annan plan

[04] New Acropolis Museum presented at Congress Centre in London

[05] Greek-Turkish Chamber sees benefits of political solution for Cyprus

[06] National Bank subsidiary to get 10 million euros from EBRD

[07] EFG signs preliminary deal for buyout of 67% of Yugoslav bank

[01] Weather Forecast: Mostly sunny on Wednesday

Sunshine is forecast in most parts of the country, with scattered cloud in the Ionian and on the mainland. Light rain is expected mainly in the west and north. Winds variable, light to moderate. In the north, temperatures will range from 2C to 16C; in the Ionian and on the rest of the mainland from 6C to 19C; and in the Aegean islands from 10C to 18C. Temperatures in Athens between 8C and 18C; and in Thessaloniki from 5C to 15C.

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Wednesday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.016

Pound sterling 0.640

Danish kroner 7.487

Swedish kroner 9.156

Japanese yen 121.5

Swiss franc 1.473

Norwegian kroner 7.360

Cyprus pound 0.576

Canadian dollar 1.597

Australian dollar 1.809

[03] President Stephanopoulos briefed on contents of Annan plan

President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos was briefed on the latest developments regarding the Cyprus issue by Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Tuesday, who presented him with a copy of the set of proposals made by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan for a solution to the Cyprus problem.

After the meeting, Simitis reiterated that the proposals were a starting point for negotiations and stressed that the text was now being examined closely by the Greek and Greek-Cypriot sides.

Many of the points contained within the set of proposals would be discussed with the other side and the United Nations, he noted, while stressing that all the negotiations would be carried out by the Cypriot leadership.

The Greek government and Greek people would support Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and help in the negotiations he would carry out, the prime minister added.

Simitis said the government had briefed the political parties earlier on Tuesday and given them copies of the UN chief's proposals. He also announced that he would arrange meetings with the political party leaders next week to hear their views on the issue.

In order for negotiations to be held and for Greece to support these, specific views and positions were needed, he added.

[04] New Acropolis Museum presented at Congress Centre in London

LONDON (ANA - M. Arvanitopoulou) - Franco-Swiss architect Bernard Schumi made a presentation of the new Acropolis Museum at the Congress Centre here on Tuesday night.

The presentation took place in the presence of Greek Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos, the President of the New Acropolis Museum Organisation Dimitris Pantermalis and the Cultural Olympiad's managing director Manuela Pavlidou.

Introducing Schumi, the culture minister said that at present in Greece ''a huge plan to supplement and modernise cultural infrastructures is taking place. New museums, new cultural buildings, interventions at archaeological sites and monuments show many new cultural courses and many new tourist destinations.''

Referring to the late culture minister and actress Melina Mercouri, Venizelos said ''she will be watching developments with great satisfaction'', adding that the moment has arrived for a great political and cultural initiative with the return of the Parthenon Marbles.''

[05] Greek-Turkish Chamber sees benefits of political solution for Cyprus

The Greek-Turkish Chamber of Commerce said on Tuesday that a political solution to the Cyprus issue would multiply benefits expected to accrue from the island republic's entry into the European Union.

''Resolution of the Cyprus issue through a just and viable solution would greatly help Greece and Turkey, apart from the Cypriot people,'' the chamber's president, Panayotis Koutsikos, told reporters.

A solution would allow Greece freely to exercise European policy in the region, and Turkey would demonstrate in practice the genuineness of its intentions concerning a European orientation, Koutsikos said.

He was asked to comment on proposals for Cyprus by UN secretary general Kofi Annan.

[06] National Bank subsidiary to get 10 million euros from EBRD

SOFIA (ANA/B.Borisov) - UBB, a Bulgarian bank acquired by Athens-quoted National Bank of Greece, on Tuesday forged an agreement with the European Bank for Research and Development for 10 million euros.

A senior executive of National, Christos Katsanis, told the Athens News Agency that UBB played a key role in Bulgaria in granting loans to small and medium sized enterprises.

[07] EFG signs preliminary deal for buyout of 67% of Yugoslav bank

EFG Eurobank Ergasias said on Tuesday that it had signed a preliminary agreement for the acquisition of 67 percent of shares in Post Banka AD of Yugoslavia.

Main shareholders of Post Banka are the Yugoslav Post Office and Yugoslav Telecommunications Company, which forged agreement with smaller shareholders for sale of the stock, EFG said in a statement.

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article