Athens News Agency: News in English, 01-04-12

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

CONTENTS

[01] Foreign Exchange Rates-Tuesday

[02] Weather Forecast-Good Friday

[03] Greece - Turkey - Defence spending

[04] ASE-close

[01] Foreign Exchange Rates-Tuesday

Tuesday's buying rates

U.S. dollar 382.006

German mark 172.829

French franc 051.531

Pound sterling 547.583

Irish punt 429.202

Belgian franc 008.379

Luxembourg franc 008.379

Dutch guilder 153.389

Italian lira (100) 017.457

Austrian schilling 024.565

Danish kroner 45.296

Swedish kroner 37.554

Finnish mark 056.852

Spanish peseta 002.032

Portuguese escudo 001.686

Japanese yen (100) 310.111

Swiss franc 222.625

Norwegian kroner 41.873

Cyprus pound 584.136

Canadian dollar 245.126

Australian dollar 193.982

[02] Weather Forecast-Good Friday

Unsettled weather is forecast throughout the country on Good Friday, with alternating cloud, sunshine and rain or storms. Winds variable, moderate to strong, turning strong to gale force in the southern Aegean. In the north, temperatures will range from 7C to 15C; on the rest of the mainland from 10C to 17C; and in the Aegean islands from 13C to 19C. Unsettled in Athens with temperatures between 11C and 17C. Same in Thessaloniki, with temperatures from 9C to 15C.

[03] Greece - Turkey - Defence spending

Greeces defence minister was the latest high-ranking government official in Athens this week to express concern over the ongoing financial crisis and accompanying social unrest in neighbouring Turkey.

While calling for immediate international assistance towards Ankara, Tsohatzopoulos also warned that such crises harbour ?dangers for the security and stability of all the peoples in the region?.

He also cited a projected reduction in Turkeys defence expenditures as a byproduct of the severe economic difficulties in the neighbouring country.

The Greek defence minister, who distanced himself from a government decision earlier this month to cut Greeces defence expenditures between the 2001-2004 period including the postponement of the highly touted ?Eurofighter? purchase contract in favour of social spending, noted that his ministry is attempting to restructure the Greek armed forces through technological upgrades, manpower cuts and the slashing of operational costs.

In a related development, Foreign Minister George Papandreou on Wednesday evening hailed the same-day announcement by Turkey's general staff regarding the postponement of various weapons programmes worth $19.5 billion, saying the decision contributes "to a further detente in bilateral relations" as well as to regional development and stability.

Papandreou, who was speaking to reporters after meeting with Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, said Ankara's decision is an "important event" for the Turkish people at a time of great economic hardship.

He also expressed a hope that it "presages further detente", adding that "maybe later there will be a mutual decrease (in armaments) when conditions will permit this."

[04] ASE-close

Equity prices ended sharply higher on Thursday, the last trading session before a four-day Easter holiday, pushing the general index above the 3,150 level for the first time in 20 sessions.

Traders noted, however, that turnover remained low and stressed that with liquidity conditions so tight the market was vurnerable to short-term selling pressure next week.

Buying activity focused on banks and telecommunications.

The general index ended 2.35 percent higher at 3,159.47 points, near the day's highs of 3,176.60, with turnover a low 149.67 million euros, or 51 billion drachmas.

The FTSE/ASE 20 for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended 3.09 percent up to 1,840.38 points, and the FTSE/ASE 40 index rose 1.14 percent to 372.75 points.

The parallel market index for smaller capitalisation stocks ended at 326.31 points, up 0.93 percent.

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