Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-03-13

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

CONTENTS

[01] Weather Forecast: Sunny start on Thursday

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Thursday

[03] Greek FM: Margins for resolving Iraq crisis narrowing

[04] Int'l conference on return of Parthenon Marbles held in Athens

[05] Cabinet meeting Thursday seen taking counter-inflationary measures

[06] Greek-Turkish inter-ministerial conference begins in Ankara

[01] Weather Forecast: Sunny start on Thursday

Sunshine is forecast in most parts of the country in the morning, with scattered cloud in the northeast that will turn to showers in low lying areas and snow on high ground. From late afternoon it will rain in the west, Thessaly and the northern Aegean, spreading south overnight. Winds variable, light to strong. In the north, temperatures will range from 2C to 15C; on the rest of the mainland from 6C to 20C; and in the islands from 9C to 19C. Temperatures in Athens between 6C and 19C; and in Thessaloniki from 4C to 14C.

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Thursday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.116

Pound sterling 0.688

Danish kroner 7.487

Swedish kroner 9.387

Japanese yen 130.2

Swiss franc 1.479

Norwegian kroner 7.929

Cyprus pound 0.587

Canadian dollar 1.637

Australian dollar 1.859

[03] Greek FM: Margins for resolving Iraq crisis narrowing

STRASBOURG (ANA) -- Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou warned on Wednesday that the margins for peacefully resolving the Iraq crisis are being exhausted, saying that the Middle East country must comply immediately with demands of UN weapons inspectors.

Papandreou was speaking before the European Parliament here, as he detailed the current Greek EU presidencys positions and activities regarding the ongoing Iraq crisis.

The Greek FM stressed that the current period is extremely crucial, while he cited the latest report by chief UN weapons inspector Dr. Hans Blix as well as the latters references to Iraqs destruction of its ?Al-Samoud? short-range missiles and the prospect of interviewing Iraqi scientists without the presence of third parties or tape recorders.

Papandreou added, however, that inspections in Iraq for weapons of mass destruction cannot continue indefinitely.

?The 15 agreed to a common position at the special Summit meeting on Feb. 17. Our goal is the complete disarmament of Iraq. We considered and consider that war is not unavoidable, and I want to stress here today that we still believe that. It is up to Baghdad to end this crisis by complying to the Security Councils demands,? he said.

?We call on the Iraqi regime to proceed immediately and unconditionally with actions and answers? to inspectors demands, ?because the deadlines are very close to being exhausted.?

[04] Int'l conference on return of Parthenon Marbles held in Athens

The high-profile international campaign to return the Parthenon Marbles to Greece once again dominated the cultural spotlight here on Wednesday as a one-day conference was held in downtown Athens.

In greeting delegates, Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyianni emphasised that the Parthenon Marbles are neither the Venus Di Milo nor the ?Winged Victory? (Nike of Samothrace), ?but a portion of the whole?.

?The antiquities of Athens do not just belong to the Greeks, but to all the peoples that believe in the Parthenons symbolism,? she added.

Other speakers during the conference included veteran French film director Jules Dassin, the president of the Melina Mercouri Foundation and the widower of the late Greek actress and one-time culture minister; Laurence professor emeritus of classical archaeology at Cambridge Anthony Snodgrass, who also heads up the British committee for a return of the Marbles; and William St. Clair, the author of ?Lord Elgin and the Marbles?.

St. Clairs research of the museums archives revealed the damage done to the Marbles by British Museum restoration staff in the late 1930s. News of the damage was considered a strong rebuff to the standing refusal by the British Museums officials vis-a-vis a return of the Marbles to Greece. The British Museum, among others, has long claimed the Marbles are better off in London, away from the ravages of pollution in Athens.

On Wednesday St. Clair said the demand for the Marbles return is not nationalistic, while he expressed a hope that the governments of Greece and the UK will be able to find new forms of stewardship for such antiquities.

[05] Cabinet meeting Thursday seen taking counter-inflationary measures

A cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday is expected to take steps to counter inflationary pressures stemming from a rise in global oil prices and domestic fruit and vegetable prices, government sources said.

Finance Minister Nikos Christodoulakis is likely to recommend stepping up checks in the market by the the financial crimes squad and development ministry authorities in order to clamp down on profiteering, the sources said on Wednesday.

In addition, Christodoulakis is to order ministries to keep spending within limits set in the budget; and ask public utility firms to restrain charges.

Inflation in February was sharply higher at 4.3 percent.

In connection with the domestic rise in inflation, the cabinet will also study the impact of a possible war on Iraq lasting more than two weeks, which would begin to hurt eurozone economies, the sources said.

[06] Greek-Turkish inter-ministerial conference begins in Ankara

ANKARA (ANA -A. Abatzis) - The Greek-Turkish second inter-ministerial conference began on Wednesday and is expected to conclude on Thursday with the signing of a cooperation protocol.

The Greek delegation is headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Loverdos and the Turkish by foreign trade General Secretary Tonzer Kayalar.

At the sidelines of the conference, Loverdos met with interim ministers Ali Babacan and Kursat Tuzmen.

Opening the conference, Kayalar said that the incorporation of Turkey in the European Union will bring the two countries (Greece and Turkey) closer and will contribute to the further development of their economic relations.

He also stressed that the issue of double taxation on trade goods was of the outmost importance, thus both countries placed great emphasis on the signing of a bilateral agreement on avoiding such double taxation.

Loverdos, speaking to the ANA, said that that specific issue was not discussed during this meeting, but it was mentioned, saying that Greece can not exempt the profits of merchant marine shipping from such an agreement, as Turkey has requested.

He noted that it was decided to convene a joint committee on the issue in Athens over the next few days to discuss this issue.

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