Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-01-08

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

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

CONTENTS

[01] Papandreou, chairman of EU foreign ministers, to tour 7 Middle East

[02] EU calls on Israel to lift ban on Palestinian officials' movements

[03] Weather Forecast: Cloud expected on Wednesday

[04] Foreign Exchange Rates - Wednesday

[01] Papandreou, chairman of EU foreign ministers, to tour 7 Middle East countries

Greece's foreign minister George Papandreou will make a tour of seven Middle Eastern countries in early February in his capacity as chairman of the EU Council of Ministers, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

Foreign ministry sources said that Papandreou would embark on his Middle East tour with a dual goal: to encourage moderate Arab regimes to mediate with the US to avert conflict in Iraq, and also for the European Union to acquire an accurate and complete picture of the stance that each country will take in the event war operations are launched.

[02] EU calls on Israel to lift ban on Palestinian officials' movements

ATHENS (ANA) -

The European Union on Wednesday called on Israel to lift its ban on the movement of Palestinian officials, warning that such actions did not contribute to international efforts to end violence in the Middle East.

In a statement issued in Athens by Greece, which currently holds the rotating six-month EU presidency, the EU criticised an Israeli government decision to block the departure of senior Palestinian officials for a conference on Palestinian reform in London next week, and called on the Israeli government to lift the ban.

[03] Weather Forecast: Cloud expected on Wednesday

Cloud is forecast for most parts of the country on Wednesday, while in the east and southeast, there may be local rains later in the day. Winds westerly, strong turning very strong. In the north and center, temperatures will range from 5C to 12C; in the west from 7C to 17C; and in the rest of the country from 10C to 18C. Scattered cloud in Athens with temperatures between 09C and 16C. Cloud and rain in Thessaloniki, with temperatures from 07C to 11C.

[04] Foreign Exchange Rates - Wednesday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.050

Pound sterling 0.654

Danish kroner 7.487

Swedish kroner 9.139

Japanese yen 125.8

Swiss franc 1.482

Norwegian kroner 7.294

Cyprus pound 0.578

Canadian dollar 1.638

Australian dollar 1.830

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