Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-01-30

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM says move by 8 European countries on Iraq does not contribute to

[02] Greek, Turkish FMs discuss bilateral issues in Ankara

[03] Turkish warplanes infringe Athens FIR and violate national airspace

[04] Israeli & Palestinian ambassadors to attend debate on Middle East

[05] Prince Andrew lays wreath in memory of murdered British military

[06] Festival of Athens announces program for this summer

[07] Gov't to order tough fines for maltreatment of cats, dogs

[08] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

[09] Weather Forecast: Rain, storms on Friday

[10] Greek stocks move cautiously higher on Thursday

[01] PM says move by 8 European countries on Iraq does not contribute to joint stance

Prime Minister Costas Simitis, in his capacity as European Council president, on Thursday appeared irritated by the way with which an initiative was taken by five EU member-states and three candidate countries on the issue of Iraq.

''The way with which the initiative by the five EU member-states and the three candidate countries was taken on the issue of Iraq does not contribute to the joint handling of the issue,'' he said in a written statement.

The prime ministers of Britain, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Hungary, Poland, Denmark and the Czech Republic co-signed an article published Thursday in several European and US newspapers calling for Europe to back the US in enforcing UN resolutions on Iraq, and warning that if the UN Security Council failed to secure Saddam's adherence to Resolution 1441 it would lose its influence and credibility.

Simitis added that ''the EU is aiming at having a common foreign policy (and) consequently an understanding is also necessary on the issue of Iraq, as precisely was the case at the General Affairs Council on Monday 27 January 2003.''

The prime minister further stressed that ''the presidency will continue to work for a joint stance.''

[02] Greek, Turkish FMs discuss bilateral issues in Ankara

ANKARA (ANA - A. Podimata) - Foreign Minister George Papandreou on Thursday discussed the course of Greek-Turkish relations, the Cyprus issue and other major international affairs with his Turkish counterpart Yasar Yakis.

The meeting, which was of a bilateral character, focused in particular on the crisis in Iraq.

In brief statements to the press after the meeting, Yakis said that he exchanged views with Papandreou on closer relations and the further development of relations between the two countries.

''The development and evolution of Greek-Turkish relations is not only in the interest of the two countries, but in the interest of stability and the development of cooperation in the wider region,'' Yiakis said, adding that during talks with the Greek minister the two men ascertained a mutual political will for a ''great future for Greek-Turkish relations''.

Yiakis commented on the meetings that the Greek minister will have with Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Abdullah Gul and ruling Justice and Development party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He also said that he and Papandreou will hold talks on Friday at the level of the European Union troika meeting with Turkish officials.

On his part, Papandreou expressed his pleasure for being in Ankara, stressing that Greece supported and supports the candidacy and the European course of Turkey, adding that on Friday talks will include the Greek EU presidency's aims for the neighboring country's next steps.

The Greek minister, speaking on Greek-Turkish relations, noted the great progress made over the past few years and hailed the statement by the Turkish side for ''a new strategic relation between Greece and Turkey''.

[03] Turkish warplanes infringe Athens FIR and violate national airspace

A total of 36 Turkish warplanes infringed air traffic regulations in the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) on 14 occasions on Thursday, reports said, while national airspace was violated 12 times in the northern and central Aegean region and east of the island of Rhodes.

Greek aircraft recognised and intercepted the Turkish warplanes and in seven cases the interception process developed into an engagement.

[04] Israeli & Palestinian ambassadors to attend debate on Middle East peace process

The Centre for Meditteranean and Middle Eastern Studies (KE.M.ME.S.) and the International Relations Institute (I.DI.S.) will host a debate in Athens on February 6 on the theme ''The Peace Process in the Middle East following the Elections in Israel''.

Taking part in the debate, to be held at the institute in the district of Plaka, will be Israeli Ambassador David Sasson and Palestinian Ambassador Abdullah Abdullah who will answer questions from the journalists Nikolas Voulelis and Paul Tsimas.

The debate will be coordinated by I.DI.S. director Professor Dimitris Konstas and KE.M.ME.S. lecturer Sotiris Roussos. The debate will be in English.

[05] Prince Andrew lays wreath in memory of murdered British military attache

Prince Andrew, Duke of York, on Thursday morning laid a wreath near the spot where British military attache Brigadier Stephen Saunders was murdered by terrorists in Athens in June 2000.

Present at the wreath-laying ceremony on Kifissia Ave. were Public Order Ministry Secretary General Mr Efstathiadis and relatives of people murdered by the ''November 17'' terrorist group.

Prince Andrew is visiting Athens as special representative of Britain for international investments and trade.

[06] Festival of Athens announces program for this summer

The Festival of Athens, which will begin this year on June 2 and will last until September 28, scheduled 50 performances for the ancient theater of Herod of Attica and an additional five that will be part of the Cultural Olympiad and will be staged at the ancient Roman Odeon.

This spring the Festival will also announce the scheduling for events in Athens during the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, which will be held in common with ATHOC.

Eighty percent of the performances will be staged by producers and will cost some 50 million euros.

[07] Gov't to order tough fines for maltreatment of cats, dogs

Deputy Agriculture Minister Fotis Hatzimihalis said on Thursday that the law would be changed to allow the imposition of tough fines for the abuse, abandonment or murder of animals including cats and dogs.

The measure, which comes in response to media reports of a new mass poisoning in the Athens National Gardens in which tens of cats and dogs were poisoned, is to cover maltreatment of both pets and stray animals.

The incident at the park in central Athens at the end of December and other cases reported in the media were isolated, Hatzimihalis said.

He called on members of the public who have information on the maltreatment of animals to take to the courts.

[08] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.083

Pound sterling 0.658

Danish kroner 7.493

Swedish kroner 9.260

Japanese yen 129.2

Swiss franc 1.482

Norwegian kroner 7.491

Cyprus pound 0.583

Canadian dollar 1.654

Australian dollar 1.843

[09] Weather Forecast: Rain, storms on Friday

Rain and storms are forecast in all parts of the country, easing off later in the day. Snow will fall on high ground in the north and centre. Winds west-southwesterly, strong to very strong, turning gale force in the Aegean. In the north, temperatures will range from 4C to 10C; on the rest of the mainland from 7C to 15C; and in the islands from 12C to 17C. Temperatures in Athens between 10C and 15C; and in Thessaloniki from 6C to 10C.It may rain in both cities in the evening.

[10] Greek stocks move cautiously higher on Thursday

Greek stocks moved cautiously higher in the Athens Stock Exchange on Thursday unable to follow a strong rebound in international markets.

The general index rose 0.33 percent to end at 1,671.13 points, with turnover a low 54.4 million euros.

The Retail, Textile and Banks sectors scored the biggest percentage gains of the day (2.32 percent, 1.78 percent and 0.73 percent, respectively), while the IT, Publication and Insurance sectors suffered the heaviest losses (1.83 percent, 1.26 percent and 1.08 percent).

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks rose 0.55 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index ended 0.23 percent down and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index eased 0.08 percent.

The wider FTSE/ASE 140 index rose 0.35 percent. Broadly, decliners led advancers by 158 to 124 with another 69 issues unchanged.

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