Bond Market Close: 10-yr benchmark at 3.94 pct

Day's Total Market Turnover: 3.0 bln euros

Foreign Exchange Rates

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank:

U.S. dollar 1.338

Pound sterling 0.680

Danish kroner 7.515

Swedish kroner 9.148

Japanese yen 153.8

Swiss franc 1.601

Norwegian kroner 8.200

Cyprus pound 0.582

Canadian dollar 1.529

Australian dollar 1.702

[22] Athens-Sparta exhibition opens in NY

NEW YORK, 7/12/2006 (ANA-MPA)

Voulgarakis congratulated the Centre on its initiatives and, referring to the Athens-Sparta exhibition in particular, noted that "two great city-states of antiquity are being projected in a modern multicultural city, adding that "Greece's best ambassador is its culture".

Foundation chairman Antonis Papadimitriou outlined the Center's cultural activities in the US, while brief greetings were also addressed by Minister of State (PASOK) Anna Diamantopoulou, and the Foundation's executive director in the US, Ambassador Loukas Tsilas.

Officials present at the inauguration included Archbishop Demetrios of America, Greece's and Cyprus' permanent representatives to the UN, Ambassadors Adamantios Vasilakis and Andreas Mavroyannis respectively, and the two consuls general, Ekaterini Boura and Martha Mavrommati.

The exhibition is organized by the Onassis Foundation in cooperation with Greece's National Arcaheological Museum, and comprises three unities: the parallel cultural, political and economic courses of Athens and Sparta.

According to Greece's National Archaeological Museum director and curator of the exhibition, Dr. Nikos Kaltsas, "For the first time has such a large number of Laconic and Attic artwork been gathered side by side," while noting that the purpose of the exhibition was not a comparison, but rather to highlight the differences of the two city-states in mentality, organization and artistic expression "which, in times of peace, developed that which today is known worldwide and universally acknowledged as classical Hellenic civilization".

The rival Hellenic city-states, Sparta and Athens, were distinct from one another not only politically and culturally, but also artistically. While ancient Sparta was famous for militarism and austerity, its artistic developments are typically regarded as less advanced than those of Athens, which has long been revered for producing some of the most exquisite artworks in all of ancient Greece.

The exhibition, to be inaugurated by Voulgarakis on Tuesday, will trace both Laconic and Attic artistic developments from the 8th to the 5th centuries B.C., with a focus on the historically overlooked achievements made in Spartan art during this period. A total of 289 rare artifacts from the two city-states are brought together in this exhibition, many of which are visiting the U.S. for the first time. Highlights of Athens-Sparta will include a marble head of Leonidas, from the 6th century B.C., and Laconic bronze figurines of hoplites, from the 8th to the 6th centuries B.C., with loans drawn from museums across Greece.

Artifacts on display include a marble statue believed to represent the Spartan king Leonidas, weapons found at Thermopylae where he died fighting Persian invaders, and finds from Marathon, where Athens defeated a Persian army in 490 B.C. Athens and Sparta overcame decades of mutual distrust to ally against Persian invasions in the early 5th century B.C., but fought each other in the bitter Peloponnesian War which divided Greece's querulous city states and lasted, with brief intervals, from 431-404 B.C. Sparta won that war but lost the peace, declining in later years into a rural backwater, while Athens remained a center of learning and culture for most of its later history.

Of the 289 artifacts on display, particular interest is presented by the marble bust of a hoplite believed to be that of Leonidas, dating to the end of the 5th century BC, a marble 5th century BC statuette of an Attic Kore from the Acropolis Museum, bronze hoplite figurines from Sparta dated between the 8th-6th century BC, a 6th century BC clay cylix by the Laconian painter Arkesilas, a mid-4th century BC marble statuette of the goddess Athena, Attic bas-reliefs and a gravestone stele from the late 5th century BC, and 5th century BC arrowheads and spears from the site of the Battle of Thermopylae.

The Onassion Cultural Centre is the Foundation's headquarters in the US, and a subsidiary of the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation established in 1975 after the death of shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, named after Onassis' son Alexandros who was killed in a private plane crash.

[23] Unique exhibition of Nobel collection at Athens International Airport

ATHENS, 7/12/2006 (ANA/MPA)

Tens of rare and previously unknown exhibits will be on display, part of the Swedish inventor's collection, which was recently acquired by Hellenic Nobel Museum owner and founder Prof. Giorgio Marcou.

Previously unpublished manuscripts by Franz Liszt, Paul Valery, the first women to be awarded Nobel prizes in Literature, Bertha von Suttner (1905) and for Peace, Selma Lagerlof (1909), Friedrich Nietzsche and others are presented in photographs, as well as numerous other photographs depicting the Socrates oil tanker, Nobel stock in the Isthmus of Corinth -- which was created using Nobel's new invention at the time, dynamite -- and receipts of Nobel's payment for the explosives used in the project, among others, many of which reflect Alfred Nobel's love for Greece.

The exhibition will run through February 10, 2007, and will be open 24 hours a day.

The Hellenic Nobel Museum will open its doors to the public in the Spring of 2007, housing a unique collection of more than 3,500 unknown and unpublished exhibits in a state-of-the-art building in the Athens suburb of Halandri.

[24] Actor, director George Lazanis dies

ATHENS, 7/12/2006 (ANA/MPA)

Lazanis, 78, actor and director, had a 50-year-long successful career in the Greek theatre and his name was associated with Koun's Art's Theatre.

Lazanis graduated from Koun's Drama School in 1954 and acted in all theatre plays directed by Koun.

Between 1967 and early 2000 he continued acting while at the same time he directed major theatre plays.

In 1959, he became the manager of the Art's Theatre School which changed the Greek theatre scene.

Messages of condolences were sent to his family on Wednesday by President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias, Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, main opposition Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) leader George Papandreou, Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Secretary General Aleka Papariga, Coalition of the Left Movements and Ecology (Synaspismos) leader Alekos Alavanos and Culture Minister George Voulgarakis.

[25] The SAE 6th world assembly opens in Thessaloniki on Friday

7/12/2006 (ANA/MPA)

Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Giorgos Kalantzis will give a formal dinner in honor of the delegates on Thursday evening at the Governor's mansion and Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis will open the conference proceedings on Friday morning. The delegates will be greeted by Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, Health Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos, Information General Secretary Panagiotis Livadas and others.

The conference will attend PASOK main opposition party leader George Papandreou, LAOS president Giorgos Karatzaferis, politicians, parliament deputies and local officials.

Messages will be sent by Hellenic Republic President Karolos Papoulias, Cyprus Republic President Tassos Papadopoulos, Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos, Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria, Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens, Greek Communist Party General Secretary Aleka Papariga and SYRIZA President Alekos Alavanos.

The conference will be addressed by Deputy Foreign Minister Theodoros Kassimis, responsible for issues concerning the Greeks living abroad and SAE President Andrew Athens.

Among the foreign officials attending the conference will be former Foreign Minister of Cyprus Georgios Iakovou, Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem and the newly elected Archbishop Chrisostomos of Cyprus.

[26] Greek student murdered in Bulgaria

SOFIA, 7/12/2006 (ANA-MPA - B. Borisov)

The 21-year-old student was stabbed to death by a 20-year-old Bulgarian during a scuffle outside a music hall at 4 in the morning, according to a local police spokeswoman.

The student died on the spot, while the perpetrator was arrested.

According to the authorities, the cause of the fight was the two youths' interest in a young woman.

[27] Mastermind of Mont Parnes heist arrested

ATHENS, 7/12/2006 (ANA/MPA)

On September 25, armed robbers had attacked a Wackenhut security van transporting money from the Mont Parnes casino and had managed to get away with 1,577,000 euros.

Police announced on Wednesday that the 38-year-old was arrested together with a 40-year-old businessman, a 36-year-old and a 53-year-old Roma, while two more Roma, a father and a son, and two Albanians are still wanted.

The gang was made up of 8 males but the role of a female in the heist is under investigation. Police found a total of 390,000 euros in a bank safe-deposit box and seized five luxury cars bought with heist money, bank books, cheque books, two handguns, a dagger, a hand grenade and a sledgehammer.

Four of the eight culprits had rammed the security van with a stolen truck, broke the windows of the armoured vehicle with a sledgehammer and snatched four bags full of money at gunpoint while threatening the guards with a hand grenade. They got away using another stolen car parked nearby by two accomplices. Police found both the truck and the car shortly after the heist.

One of the seized guns was in the possession of the 38-year-old who had a license to carry a weapon, maintaining that until recently he was working for a politician as a bodyguard. Using the robbery money, he had also opened a spa in Athens.

Police are investigating the role of some of the gang members in other major armored van robberies, while an operation is underway for the arrest of the rest of the suspects. The four in custody have already appeared before a prosecutor.

[28] Drug lab arrests in Athens

ATHENS, 7/12/2006 (ANA/MPA)

A 33-year-old Albanian national was arrested while an investigation is underway for the arrest of another Albanian, both alleged members of an organized drug trafficking network that puts significant quantities of heroin and cocaine on the Greek market.

According to police, it is the third such lab discovered in Athens within the past four months all of them run by Albanians.

Police seized a total of 3,380 grams of heroin, 164 grams of cocaine, 500 grams of a cutting agent, 4,000 euros and devices used to adulterate and package illicit drugs.

[29] Immigrant protest against delayed issue of residence permits

ATHENS, 7/12/2006 (ANA/MPA)

The delays have caused serious problems to many of them who cannot leave Greece, not even to attend their parents' funerals or visit their families in their own countries.

The protest was organized by the Immigrant Forum in Thessaloniki and the Anti-Racist Initiative.

The protesters claim that, in spite of the fact that the relevant procedure was launched back in October 2005, no residence permit has yet been issued by the Central Macedonia Region offices when in the rest of the country most of those eligible have received their permits.

Illegal immigrants arrested on Samos: A total of 33 illegal immigrants were arrested by authorities on the Aegean island of Samos since Wednesday morning.

The immigrants are of various nationalities, with seven from Afghanistan and five from Somalia, while the rest are from Lebanon. Thirteen of them are women. They said they reached Samos by boat from the nearby Turkish coast.

They have been taken to the island's reception centre for illegal immigrants, where currently houses a total of 180 people.

Soccer

[30] AEK Athens draws 2-2 with Anderlecht away in Champions League match

7/12/2006 (ANA/MPA)

AEK's goals were scored by Vassilis Lakis in the 75th minute and by Bruno Cirillo in the 81st.

Anderlecht's goals were scored by Anthony Vanden Borre in the 38th and by Nicolas Frutos in the 63rd.

AEK came third in the Group and will continue playing in Europe in the UEFA Cup competition.

[31] Cypriot President Papadopulos stresses high level of cooperation with China

BEIJING, 7/12/2006 (CNA/ANA-MPA)

In his address at a reception for the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Cyprus and the People's Republic of China hosted by Cypriot Ambassador to China Petros Kestoras, the Cypriot president also stressed the "ample possibilities, especially after Cyprus' accession to the European Union, for the further enhancement and expansion of relations in fields such as trade, shipping, tourism, and other."

Papadopoulos, visiting China at the invitation of President Hu Jintao, noted that having previously visited the country in the 80s and 90s he was amazed and vastly impressed by the economic development and progress achieved in such a short period of time and congratulated "the Chinese people and Government of the People's Republic of China, for their great and impressive achievements."

"December 14th, the 35th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations, is a day of celebration and a golden opportunity to renew our commitment to further strengthen the excellent relations that have been established, throughout this period between our two countries," he said.

He further noted that the closeness and the deepness of relations between China and Cyprus is also proven by the numerous exchanges of highly successful official visits, at all levels and the numerous bilateral agreements, which cover, inter alia, the fields of health, culture, maritime transport, press and information, as well as scientific, economic and technical cooperation, which are in existence and operative between our two countries.

The Cypriot president expressed gratitude to China, "for its principled support of the independence, territorial and sovereignty in several international fora and most notably in the Security Council of the United Nations, where China is one of its five Permanent Members."

He also expressed Cyprus' gratitude for China's support to the efforts for a just and viable solution of the Cyprus question on the basis of the United Nations Security Council Resolutions, European principles and international law.

He further reiterated Cyprus' well-known position of full adherence to the 'One-China' principle as well as its active support of China's efforts for peaceful reunification, noting that "there are countries, who in consort with Turkey, are promoting the idea that the part of Cyprus which, since 1974 is occupied by Turkish troops, should be turned into a 'Taiwan type' entity in the Western world."

He stressed the Cypriot government's determination to resist all such efforts and expressed the hope that China "will again be an ally to our resistance."

"Our position is based on principles. Our expectation of the support of China in this endeavor is the natural consequence of the indisputable fact that our countries share the same principles and ideals, enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations: respect of sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of States, as well as non-interference of any State in the internal affairs of another," he said.

Concluding, the Cypriot president stressed that on this basis, the future of Sino-Cypriot relations and friendship, based on commonly hold principles, is destined to be a bright one.

Vice chairwoman of the National People's Congress of China Wu Yun Qi Mu Ge said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cyprus and China, the two countries support and respect each other, adding that China understands and supports Cyprus in its effort to secure its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Despite the geographical distance between the two countries, the two peoples enjoy a friendly relationship.

The Chinese people will never forget that in 1971 Cyprus voted in favor of China at the UN Security Council.

She thanked Cyprus for its support to China within the EU and noted that China has a good friend and partner within the Union.

After the ceremony the two sides exchanged gifts.

[32] Papadopoulos says Franco-German proposal on Turkey not yet finalized

BEIJING, 7/12/206 (CNA/ANA-MPA)

He explained that the said proposal does not refer to a reevaluation of Ankara's accession course in 2009 but to the period after the Turkish elections and before the European Parliament elections.

Asked whether the proposal refers to the reevaluation of Turkey in the spring of 2009, Papadopoulos said: ''That's not what the suggestion said. What it says is after the Turkish elections and before the European elections. The period is not clarified. It may be right after. It has not been decided. The proposal does not talk about 2009."

Invited to say if the suggestion provides for sanctions against

Turkey, Papadopoulos said "the text of the proposal has not yet been finalized. As it stands, it reflects the opinion of the two countries. I wish it is accepted."

Asked when it will be finalized, Papadopoulos replied: "December 14 and 15," when the European Council will meet in Brussels.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday called for a progress report on Turkey's troubled EU candidacy before spring 2009.

''We will campaign for the European Commission to draft a report some time between the elections in Turkey in autumn 2007 and the European elections in spring 2009,'' Merkel said after talks with the presidents of France and Poland.

French President Jacques Chirac said he backed Merkel's proposal for a progress report on Turkey's membership bid.

[33] FM Lillikas says time-table important for Turkey's obligations

LARNACA 7/12/2006 (CNA/ANA-MPA)

Cypriot Foreign Minister George Lillikas said that without a new date and without a time-frame for the evaluation, Turkey will have no incentive to meet its obligations.

He acknowledged that there are big countries, inside and outside the EU who do not favor a deadline for Turkey, countries which exercise significant pressure on EU allies or have important means and ways to offer their allies things in return or deprive them of benefits.

Speaking at Larnaca airport on his departure for Paris to meet French government officials, Lillikas said that Nicosia and Paris enjoy "an open dialogue on bilateral as well as European Union issues."

The meetings will focus on developments in Euro-Turkish positions.

The minister will be briefed on the discussion and agreement of the French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"It is very important that France and Germany have decided and share a common position as regards setting a new rendezvous for a new evaluation for Turkey and the fulfillment of its obligations towards the EU and its member states," he said.

He noted that "if this time-table is 18 months or two years it is not of great importance. What is important is that there will be a new evaluation for Turkey, something that was not a requirement in the EU Commission recommendations."

Responding to questions, he said that the government by no means feels lonely among the 25, noting that "on the contrary, there is a lot of understanding from many partners."

Lillikas further said that the "battle will be difficult" explaining that Cyprus has to compete with big countries, within the EU and outside the Union, "which support Turkey without taking into consideration whether it meets its obligations."

This, he explained, means that "we do not start from a position of power, we start from a weak position. But we will fight this battle until the end and safeguard our national interests."

Responding to another question, he said that what is important is to have a mechanism to monitor and supervise Turkey and that the only way is to set a time-table in which there will be another discussion and evaluation with a new report from the Commission as regards Turkey's EU obligations.

Government Spokesman Christodoulos Pashiardes said on Wednesday that it is wrong to say that the German-French proposal on Turkey came as a surprise, noting that it is just a proposal and not a conclusion to attribute dramatic dimensions to it.

What is important for us with this recommendation is that it suggests an evaluation of Turkey's European course, something that is not required in the recommendations of the Commission, he added.

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