Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 03-12-27

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

CONTENTS

[01] Greek aid to quake-ravaged Iran

[02] Deputy DM visits Greek military contingent in Kosovo

[03] PM Simitis sends Christmas message to Cypriot President Papadopoulos

[04] Presidential guard choir sings carols for President Stephanopoulos

[05] US reaction to Greek-Turkish pipeline deal

[06] Europol report on organized crime in Europe & the Balkans in 2003

[07] Small vessel runs aground, no injuries reported

[08] Rescue effort atop Mt. Olympus

[09] 35 tons of contraband cigarettes found on freighter

[10] Main opposition ND's Souflias out of hospital

[11] Twin fire-bomb attacks on ATM, ND office in Thessaloniki

[12] Freighter "Elizabeth" runs aground on islet, crew safe

[13] PASOK office firebombed in Thessaloniki

[14] Denktash to give mandate for new 'government' probably on Monday

[01] Greek aid to quake-ravaged Iran

Athens 27/12/03 (ANA)

Athens will also send 250,000 euros for quake-stricken residents of Bam, in SE Iran, the foreign ministry announced.

The decision to send immediate aid was taken by Foreign Minister George Papandreou and Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Loverdos. At the same time, Loverdos is in constant communication with Public Order Minister George Floridis and the General Secretariat for Civil Protection in order for an emergency and rescue team to be ready to depart for the quake-stricken area, in the event that the Iranian authorities request such assistance.

A severe tremor, measuring up to 6.7 on the Richter scale, rocked the Bam area just before dawn on Friday morning. Casualties are expected to reach the thousands.

In a subsequent telegram to Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis expressed his condolences over the loss of life in the Bam region as well as the Greek people�s solidarity to Iran.

He reiterated that Greece is at Tehran�s disposal for the dispatch of rescue units or humanitarian aid.

Main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Costas Karamanlis also conveyed his condolences to the Iranian president and people.

[02] Deputy DM visits Greek military contingent in Kosovo

Athens 27/12/03 (ANA)

province at the head of a high-ranking military delegation.

In a brief address during a Christmas dinner also attended by representatives of other countries� military contingents and local political officials, Kotsonis said the future of the often strife-ridden region�s peoples does not lie in confrontation but in dialogue and understanding, and under the condition that peoples live within international recognized borders.

Six hundred and thirty-five men and women serve in the Greek contingent in Kosovo.

[03] PM Simitis sends Christmas message to Cypriot President Papadopoulos

Nicosia 27/12/03 (ANA)

In a Christmas Day message to Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos, Simitis said:� thanking you cordially for your message on the occasion of the Christmas and New celebrations, I also wish, on behalf of the government and myself, to convey to you all my wishes for progress and prosperity.

''With the completion of the incorporation of the Republic of Cyprus to the European Union on May 1, 2004, the struggles of Cypriot Hellenism are vindicated. We hope that this indisputable great European success will also mark the settlement of the Cyprus issue and the reunification of the island to the benefit of all its population.

''On my part, I wish to assure you again of our determination to continue the struggle for the success of our joint objective, with the achievement of a comprehensive, just, lasting and functional solution of our national problem.''

[04] Presidential guard choir sings carols for President Stephanopoulos

Athens 27/12/03 (ANA)

The president also heard carols sung by the Holargos Municipality�s Children�s' Choir, the Children of Athens Police Officers Choir, the Piraeus prefecture Saxophone Orchestra, the Greek-French School ''Jeanne d�Arcy'', the Aegean Philharmonic Orchestra 'Euterpe' and the ''Hamogelo tou Paidiou'' children�s charity choir.

Apart from the scheduled groups, there was also impromptu carol singing by four school girls from the 15th Athens Primary School, who arrived without previous arrangement and asked to be allowed to sing.

[05] US reaction to Greek-Turkish pipeline deal

Washington 27/12/03 (ANA-T. Ellis)

The agreement was signed on Tuesday in Ankara, and will ostensibly lead to the delivery of 500 million cubic meters of natural gas from Azerbaijan to Greece, via Turkey, beginning in 2006.

W Washington said the pipeline will serve not only as another important economic link between Greece and Turkey, but also will provide a new source of natural gas for Greece, with the prospect of connecting to markets in the heart of Europe.

Up to 11 billion cubic meters annually of natural gas is targeted for transport to Turkey, Greece and Europe in the second phase of the project.

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

Closing rates of December 24 2003

Parities in euro

Banknotes

Foreign Exchange Buying Selling

US Dollar 1,250 1,222

Canadian Dollar 1,648 1,610

Australian Dollar 1,686 1,647

Pound Sterling 0,707 0,691

Pound Cyprus 0,590 0,576

Swiss Franc 1,571 1,535

Danish Kr. 7,502 7,331

Norwegian Kr. 8,487 8,293

Swedish Kr. 9,163 8,954

Yen 134,1 131,1

[06] Europol report on organized crime in Europe & the Balkans in 2003

Brussels 27/12/03 (ANA-G.Daratos)

The report by the Euro-police, Europol, which was published a few days ago, revealed that the organized criminal gangs in Europe increased from 3,000 in 2002 to 4,000 in 2003. At the same time, the number of their members increased from 30,000 in 2002 to 40,000 in 2003.

Particularly active were the Albanian gangs who in recent years have dynamically infiltrated the European crime market, dealing mainly in the distribution of narcotics, especially heroin, and in the trafficking of women.

Europol also ascertained an increase in cooperation between European criminal organizations with corresponding gangs from third countries, such as in the United States, Canada, China, Turkey and Vietnam.

The increase of gangs in countries of central and Eastern Europe, Russia and in the Balkans is mainly due to political and economic instability, according to Europol.

Bulgarians play a major role in the theft of luxury cars from Germany, to sell mainly in Eastern Europe and Russia in particular.

Greece appears only once in the Europol report which notes that large quantity of contraband cigarettes are smuggled from Greece to Italy from where they are distributed mainly to the United Kingdom market.

[07] Small vessel runs aground, no injuries reported

Athens 27/12/03 (ANA)

The North Korea-flagged �Lounes� ran aground 150 meters from the pier where it was docked. All six crewmembers, five Greeks and a Syrian national, were unhurt, while no leakage from the vessel�s fuel tanks was reported.

Force 8-9 winds were recorded in the region.

[08] Rescue effort atop Mt. Olympus

Athens 27/12/03 (ANA)

A fire brigade snowmobile has been set to the scene to retrieve the trio of local climbers.

[09] 35 tons of contraband cigarettes found on freighter

Athens 27/12/03 (ANA)

The vessel, identified as the �Elisabeth�, had departed Port Said, Egypt for Bar, in Montenegro. Bills of lading claimed it carried a cargo of cement, instead of the �Dorchester� and �Sovereign� brands of cigarettes loaded in its hold.

Its skipper and seven crewmembers were arrested. The names of the suspects and their nationalities were not reported.

[10] Main opposition ND's Souflias out of hospital

Athens 27/12/03 (ANA)

Souflias thanked the doctors, nurses and all those who had inquired about his health as he exited the hospital and also referred to the latest rumors of a prospective change in leadership for ruling PASOK.

He dismissed reports that this had cast ND into confusion, noting that the main opposition had forecast a possible change of leadership for the governing party over a year ago, while he also criticized reporters for referring to the climate within the ruling party when they did not know what was going to happen.

[11] Twin fire-bomb attacks on ATM, ND office in Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki 27/12/03 (ANA)

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks and police have initiated an investigation to find the culprits.

[12] Freighter "Elizabeth" runs aground on islet, crew safe

Athens 27/12/03 (ANA)

The ship had set sail from Egypt bound for Bari in Italy, laden with a cargo of cement.

A super-puma rescue helicopter was sent out to retrieve the ship's eight-member Ukrainian crew, since prevailing weather conditions in the area were extremely adverse at the time.

The eight men were all unharmed and have been taken to the Santorini Health Centre for a precautionary checkup.

[13] PASOK office firebombed in Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki 27/12/03 (ANA)

A fire briefly erupted outside the office before the fire brigade arrived.

Police blame mostly youthful self-styled anarchists for such incidents, which are more-or-less confined to the urban centers of Athens and Thessaloniki.

[14] Denktash to give mandate for new 'government' probably on Monday

Nicosia 27/12/03 (ANA)

Denktash said following Friday's swearing-in of the new members of the four-party ''parliament'' in the Turkish-occupied north of the island that he believes that he cannot give the mandate to form a ''government'' before Monday.

In a brief meeting with the ''deputies'' he said that ''he will not meet with them soon.''

Opposition Republican People's Party leader Mehmet Ali Talat, speaking after a joint meeting with Denktash and the leader of the National Unity Party, ''prime minister'' Dervis Eroglu, reiterated his position that time must not be lost for his party to be authorized to form the new ''government''.

''It is not yet final, but the mandate will probably be given on Monday,'' said Talat, whose party is the biggest in the new ''assembly'' and supports a settlement of the Cyprus issue.

However, it was agreed at the meeting that it would be better if Denktash waited until Monday, before he gives the mandate for the formation of the ''government'', so that, as Eroglu said, the results of the talks being held in Ankara between government and diplomatic officials are known.

Eroglu, whose party is pro-Denktash, added that the consultations between the parties for the formation of the ''government'' must continue.

The Republican People's Party garnered the most votes in the so-called Turkish Cypriot ''elections'' on December 14, followed by the National Unity Party, the Peace and Democracy Movement of Mustafa Akinci and the Democratic Party of Serdar Denktash (son of Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash).

The new four-party parliament is equally split between supporters and opponents of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's plan for a settlement of the Cyprus problem.

In Ankara, the Turkish ambassadors in the 15 EU member-countries and the U.S. are continuing for the third consecutive day consultations on Turkey-EU relations and the Cyprus issue. Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul took part in Friday's consultations.

The results of the talks will be presented to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

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