Athens News Agency: News in English, 00-01-21

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

CONTENTS

[01] Simitis - EMU

[02] Stock market report

[03] Simitis-Youth

[04] Papandreou - Turkey - Patriarch

[05] KYSEA-meeting

[06] Olympic Airways-discount fares

[01] Simitis - EMU

Greece has regained its self-confidence, Prime Minister Costas Simitis told business leaders on Friday evening.

?We�re a nation that has regained our self-confidence,? Simitis told the audience at an Athens conference, organised by industrial and manufacturing associations from throughout Greece.

In a direct reference to Greece�s expected Economic and Monetary Union accession early next year, Simitis predicted that the Greek economy will grow at comparatively higher rates even after joining the 11-member �euro-zone�.

[02] Stock market report

Equity prices ended the last trading session of a subdued week moderately higher on the Athens Stock Exchange, helped by some bargain-hunting and other speculative buying for shares in the Construction and Industrials sectors.

The general index surpassed the 5,100 level to end at 5,102.12 points, up 0.67 percent after moving within the narrow range of 5,137-5,069 points. The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks rose 0.80 percent while the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index ended 0.72 percent higher.

Turnover was a low 217 billion drachmas.

The parallel market index for smaller capitalisation stocks ended at 1,619.21 points, up 0.78 percent.

[03] Simitis-Youth

Prime Minister Costas Simitis pleaded for unity in his opening address to the ruling party's youth conference, as opposing factions in the organisation jeered and swore at one another and threw chairs across the conference floor.

Simitis took over the podium to applause after outgoing PASOK Youth Secretary Nikos Mademlis was roundly jeered from the floor, forcing him to hand over the opening of the conference to Simitis, the party's president.

Tempers calmed when Simitis took the stage, and his speech drew applause from around the hall of the Piraeus Port Authority conference centre.

[04] Papandreou - Turkey - Patriarch

Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou arrived in Istanbul on Friday afternoon for a meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos.

Papandreou, who is on an official visit to Turkey, met on Thursday with Turkish President Suleyman Demirel, Premier Bulent Ecevit and Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, which whom he signed four bilateral agreements.

According to reports, the Turkish FM proposed the creation of a joint Greek-Turkish work group for Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs) focusing on the Aegean.

[05] KYSEA-meeting

Greece's Government Council on Foreign Affairs and Defence on Friday was briefed on the course of the government's 4.4 trillion 2001-2005 armaments programme.

Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos told reporters later that among the issues discussed were procedures to choose a strategic investor to participate in the Hellenic Aerospace Industry (EAB).

These procedures will be completed in the first quarter of 2000, he said. A US investment firm is expected to be hired to seek a strategic investor to acquire a minority stake in EAB. The investment is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Tsohatzopoulos also announced that Greece's talks for participation in the construction of the Eurofighter were at "a critical stage".

He said that KYSEA would be notified of the final terms of the proposal to participate in the Eurofighter consortium by the beginning of February.

[06] Olympic Airways-discount fares

Olympic Airways on Friday announced a 30 percent discount in economy seat fares in international and domestic flights for the period from January 24 to March 25.

The discount fares include all OA's destinations from Greece to Europe, New York and Boston and Larnaca and from Athens to nine domestic destinations (Thessaloniki, Heraclio, Hania, Rhodes, Kos, Mytilene, Alexandroupolis, Kavala, Corfu).

The offer is valid for ticket purchases in the period from January 24 to February 20.

The discount fares also cover Olympic Aviation's same flights.

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