Athens News Agency: News in English, 00-07-24

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

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

CONTENTS

[01] Athens-Volleyball-Tournament

[02] PM - Archbishop - President

[03] Turkish aircraft-Athens FIR-Infringements

[04] Tsohatzopoulos-Slovenia Visit

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates-Tuesday

[06] Greece-stock market-charge

[07] Helexpo-privatisation-Papantoniou

[08] Astir Palace-1st half results

[09] Greece-Helexpo-privatisation

[10] Weather Forecast-Tuesday

[11] Intrasoft-risk management

[12] ASE-close

[13] Samaranch - Olympic Truce - PM

[01] Athens-Volleyball-Tournament

On the first day on Monday of the Olympics qualifying men's volleyball tournament being held at the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Athens, Greece beat Tunisia 3-1 sets (25-15, 20-25, 25-18, 25-17) and Spain beat China 3-0 sets (26-24, 25-19, 25-17).

Spain and Greece each have two points and Tunisia and China have one point each.

On Tuesday, Spain plays Tunisia and Greece plays China.

[02] PM - Archbishop - President

Prime Minister Costas Simitis and Archbishop of Athens Christodoulos on Monday exchanged a formal handshake in their first meeting after a period of about three months of high tension in State-Church relations over the government's decision to abolish reference to religion on identity cards.

The exchange took place at the reception of the President of the Republic, Kostis Stephanopoulos, on the 26th anniversary of the restoration of democracy in Greece after a seven-year dictatorship.

[03] Turkish aircraft-Athens FIR-Infringements

Turkish warplanes infringed air traffic regulations in the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) on Monday, while the infringements developed into national airspace violations in the region of the northern Aegean.

A total of 10 Turkish F-16 jets made four air traffic regulation infringements of the Athens FIR in the areas of Chios and Lesvos and south of the island of Rhodes. A formation of Turkish warplanes also made two national airspace violations in the region of the northern Aegean.

The Turkish warplanes were recognised and intercepted by a corresponding number of Greek warplanes. The Turkish F-16s, which flew in twos and fours, were unarmed and no engagements occurred during the interception.

[04] Tsohatzopoulos-Slovenia Visit

Greek National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos begins a two-day official visit to Slovenia on Tuesday at the invitation of his Slovenian counterpart Janez Jansa.

Following the two ministers' talks on Tuesday, a memorandum of mutual understanding will be signed for cooperation between the two ministries on military equipment issues and defence technology.

On Wednesday, Tsohatzopoulos will be received by Slovenian President Milan Kucan and Prime Minister Andrej Bajuk.

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates-Tuesday

Following are indicative rates released by the central bank for the next working day.

Tuesdays rates (buying)

Euro 334.443

U.S. dollar 357.943

German mark 170.998

[06] Greece-stock market-charge

Former ND president Miltiadis Evert on Monday filed a complaint with the Supreme Court prosecutor asking for an official inquiry into charges of mismanagement by the Public Securities Company (DEKA SA).

Evert argues that instead of pursuing its goals (public portfolio management, repayment of public debt with the proceeds of privatisations) DEKA's actions on the Athens Stock Exchange were "morally and politically liable and probably legally punishable".

In his complaint, Evert argues that DEKA had bought massive ammounts of companies' shares in the wider public sector (Hellenic Telecommunications, Duty Free Shops, Hellenic Petroleum, National Bank of Greece, etc.) during the pre-election campaign period, holding the general index at the 4,935-point level until the election date (April 9).

[07] Helexpo-privatisation-Papantoniou

The government plan for the partial privatisation of Helexpo-Greek Trade Fairs envisages announcement of an international tender to find a strategic investor for the company, Papantoniou said.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Papantoniou said that the state would hold a 40-45 percent equity stake in Helexpo under the form of the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair company, while a 10 percent stake would be offered to Thessaloniki's municipal agencies.

He said the government would offer a 20-25 percent stake to private investors and that a similar stake would be floated on the Athens Stock Exchange, probably in the second half of 2001.

Papantoniou stressed that following its partial privatisation Helexpo would acquire a strong management, a strong growth potential and would help in promoting Thessaloniki as a financial centre in the Balkans and the Black Sea region.

[08] Astir Palace-1st half results

Astir Palace Vouliagmeni on Monday reported a 37.7 percent jump its its 1st half turnover to 4.259 billion drachmas from 3.092 billion in the corresponding period last year.

The hotel company's gross operating profits totalled 1.61 billion drachmas from 760 million last year, up a spectacular 111.7 percent.

Alexios Kimissis, the company's chief executive, said the results were satisfactory and stressed that an investment programme, funded by the company's initial public offering worth 14.7 billion drachmas, was progressing smoothly. He predicted that the hotel facilities would dramatically improve following completion of the programme.

[09] Greece-Helexpo-privatisation

A plan for a partial privatisation of Helexpo-Greek Trade Fairs, including the flotation of a 20 percent of the company's equity capital on the Athens Stock Exchange, will be completed by the end of 2001, National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou said on Monday, after a meeting with Macedonia-Thrace Minister, George Paschalidis and Helexpo's officials.

The meeting decided to proceed rapidly with a procedure for the partial privatisation of the company.

[10] Weather Forecast-Tuesday

Hot, sunny weather is forecast throughout Greece on Tuesday. Winds will be northerly, light to strong.

[11] Intrasoft-risk management

Intrasoft, a listed Greek software company, on Monday announced it was entering the risk management sector, expanding its range of services to the financial systems in Greece and abroad.

The company signed, in late 1999, an exclusive partnership deal with IRIS Integrated Risk Management AG, one of the world's biggest risk management companies and a major supplier of enterprise wide risk management and profitability analysis services.

IRIS, a company based in Zurich, was founded in 1992 and is part of an information group of companies.

Under the deal, Intrasoft will fully undertake the implementation, interconnection and completion of a risk management system, along with offering of maintenance and support services.

The company is also developing computer software solutions on treasury management, data warehouse, decision support, phone/internet/WAP banking, interactive voice response systems, call centers, customer relationship management, etc.

[12] ASE-close

Equity prices ended lower on the first trading session of the week on the Athens Stock Exchange undermined by lack of buying interest and very tight liquidity conditions in the market.

Monday's turnover was a low 50 billion drachmas - excluding a 12 billion drachmas block trade in Intralot shares - the lowest level since December 17, 1998.

The general index ended at 4,041.82 points, off 0.31 percent. The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended 0.30 percent lower at 2,258.73 points and the FTSE/ASE 40 index fell 0.78 percent to 572.88 points.

The parallel market index for smaller capitalisation stocks ended at 743.16 points, off 1.01 percent.

[13] Samaranch - Olympic Truce - PM

Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis received International Olympics Committee (IOC) President Juan Antonio Samaranch in the Greek capital on Monday, with talks focusing, as expected, on preparations for the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Earlier in the day, Samaranch attended a closed-door conference of the recently established International Foundation for the Olympic Truce and its affiliated centres inauguration.

The centre, located adjacent to the Zappeion Hall near Greeces Parliament and presidential mansion, was opened during a ceremony attended by Greek Kostis Stephanopoulos, Foreign Minister George Papandreou and the new president of the 2004 organising committees board, Yianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, among others.

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