Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-09-13

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

CONTENTS

[01] Weather Forecast: Unsettled on Friday

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

[03] Sotiropoulou charged as active member of N17

[04] Greece-Malta relations reaffirmed at PMs meeting with visiting Maltese

[05] Simitis comments on possible intervention in Iraq

[06] PM visits Olympic Weight-Lifting Centre in Nikea

[07] Athens Stock Exchange -- Falls to 1998 levels

[08] Greek deputy FM meets with Israeli counterpart in Jerusalem

[09] Greece to participate in NATO exercise 'Destined Glory 2002'

[01] Weather Forecast: Unsettled on Friday

Changeable weather is forecast in all parts of the country with cloud, sunny spells, showers and storms. Winds variable, light to moderate. In the north, temperatures will range from 12C to 24C; on the rest of the mainland from 15C to 28C; and in the Aegean islands from 20C to 29C. Temperatures in Athens between 18C and 28C; and in Thessaloniki from 15C to 23C.

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 0.983

Pound sterling 0.632

Danish kroner 7.485

Swedish kroner 9.249

Japanese yen 118.1

Swiss franc 1.477

Norwegian kroner 7.430

Cyprus pound 0.577

Canadian dollar 1.554

Australian dollar 1.778

[03] Sotiropoulou charged as active member of N17

The first woman linked to the urban guerrilla group ''November 17'' was arrested and charged as an active member of the terrorist outfit on Thursday and led before the special examining magistrate.

Aggeliki Sotiropoulou, the wife of a man suspected as November 17's top assassin and ex-wife of another alleged member of the group, was intercepted outside a supermarket in Exarhia near the office of her husband's lawyer, after a warrant for her arrest was issued earlier in the day based on new evidence.

The charges brought against Sotiropoulou, 40, by appeals public prosecutor Kyriakos Karoutsos include participation in a criminal organisation, possession, supply and manufacture of explosives to serve the goals of the organisation and grand weapons possession as an accomplice. All of them are prosecuted as felonies under the new anti-terrorism law.

She requested and received a two-day extension make her plea from special examining magistrate Leonidas Zervobeakas, who was assigned to the case.

The warrant for her arrest was issued after police found one of Sotiropoulou's fingerprints on a doorjamb in the terrorist group's safehouse in Damareos Street, Pagrati.

[04] Greece-Malta relations reaffirmed at PMs meeting with visiting Maltese president

The good bilateral relations between Greece and Malta, as well as their common goals, were reaffirmed Thursday in Athens during a meeting between Greek prime minister Costas Simitis and visiting Maltese president Guido de Marco.

After the meeting, Simitis told reporters that, in the eastern Mediterranean, Greece and Malta had common interests regarding the international situation and developments in the region, as well as in the progress of the European Union.

Greece, the premier said, supported Malta's accession to the EU and had contributed substantially to the advancement of the accession progress.

At the same time, he added, Malta had contributed significantly in international organisations for backing Cyprus' Eu accession, and expressed appreciation for Malta's stance that Cyprus must be included in the EU enlargement.

The two men reaffirmed the good bilateral relations between their countries, noting that their close cooperation, which had common targets, must continue.

Main opposition New Democracy leader Costas Karamanlis also called on the Maltese president, who is on an official visit to Athens, but no statements were made after the hour-long meeting.

Similar visits with the visiting dignitary were made by Communist Party of Greece (KKE) leader Aleka Papariga and Coalition of the Left and Progress (SYN) leader Nikos Constantopoulos.

[05] Simitis comments on possible intervention in Iraq

Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Thursday said that any intervention in Iraq should be in harmony with international law in the framework of the United Nations.

These statements were made to journalists after the premier's meeting with visiting Maltese President Guido de Marco.

[06] PM visits Olympic Weight-Lifting Centre in Nikea

While visiting the Olympic Weight-Lifting Centre currently under construction in Nikea, one of the poorer, working-class suburbs in southwestern Athens, Prime Minister Costas Simitis announced on Thursday that the Athens metro would be extended from Egaleo to Haidari, Agia Varvara, Korydallos, Nikea and Keratsini.

During a brief address in Nikea, Simitis said the Olympic Games in 2004 were of major importance for Greece, since apart from being a huge festival they would also bring about great development.

Accompanying the prime minister on his visit was the head of the Athens Olympics Organising Committee (ATHOC) Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, whom Simitis praised as the ''protagonist'' in preparations for the Olympics.

Taking the stand, Angelopoulos said that Greece was making good progress. ''This is not just what we say, it is what everyone says who is following our work,'' she stressed.

She also warned, however, that Greece could not afford to lose so much as a minute, while expressing conviction that the country would succeed in organising a flawless Olympiad.

Also among the speakers was Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos, who said that all the Olympics projects comprised an integrated plan for modernising the country.

[07] Athens Stock Exchange -- Falls to 1998 levels

The Athens Stock Exchange (ASE) on Thursday fell back to the levels of autumn 1998, as the general index closed at 2004.22 points, down 1.9 percent from the previous days trading.

Turnover stood at 73.7 million euros.

A 3.81-percent decrease in the heavily traded state-run telecoms utilitys (OTE) share intensified the negative mood at the Athens bourse, as OTEs share closed at 12.62 euros, the lowest since January 1997.

The biggest losses were posted in the Telecommunications sector (3.19 percent); Textiles (2.62 percent) and Insurances (2.15 percent).

Decliners led advancers by 279 to 50, with another 24 issues were unchanged.

[08] Greek deputy FM meets with Israeli counterpart in Jerusalem

Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Magriotis on Thursday met in Jerusalem with his Israeli counterpart Michael Melhior and discussed Euro-Israeli cooperation issues and the priorities of the Greek European Union presidency.

Magriotis said that the Israelis place great importance on the Greek presidency and this, he said, ''gives us the chance to oversee many issues, such as Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, as well as bilateral relations on a political, economic and cultural level''.

The minister, who arrived in Jerusalem, for a three-day visit, to participate in the one-year anniversary since the enthronement of Patriarch Ireneos to the Holy See of Jerusalem, said that there was a ''note of optimism'' concerning the recognition of Ireneos by Israel.

He called the issue an ''outstanding one that makes us sad and bitter'', adding that there was a positive proposal made by Israel's premier and ''all that is left is to overcome some difficulties''.

Later, Magriotis met with the Patriarch with whom he discussed issues of the Patriarchate and possible aid by Greece.

Magriotis will also meet with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and other Palestinian officials.

[09] Greece to participate in NATO exercise 'Destined Glory 2002'

NATO's southern flank exercise codenamed ''Destined Glory 2002'', which will include Greece among other countries, will be held in the regions of the central Mediterranean and Italy from October 5-18, the Armed Forces General Staff announced on Thursday.

The announcement noted that a phase of the exercise, which was planned to be held in Greece in the Kyparissia and Preveza regions, in western Greece, will not be held because no agreement was reached during the planning of the exercise between Greece and NATO's Southern Region Headquarters concerning the procedure for the coordination of military flights.

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