Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-04-03

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

CONTENTS

[01] Papandreou, Solana, Patten confer with US Secretary of State

[02] Thousands march to British and U.S. embassies in massive anti-war rally

[03] Turkish PM thanks Greece for cooperation in ending plane hijacking

[04] GNTO announces increased tourist arrivals from Austria, Italy

[05] Greek-Russian business cooperation group set up in Thessaloniki

[06] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

[07] Weather Forecast: Overcast, rainy on Friday

[08] Greek stocks end 0.71 percent up on Thursday

[01] Papandreou, Solana, Patten confer with US Secretary of State

BRUSSELS (ANA - M. Spinthourakis) - Developments in Iraq and the post-war situation were at the center of discussions here during a half-hour meeting on Thursday between US Secretary of State Colin Powell, Greek Foreign Minister and current European Union General Affairs Council president George Papandreou, as well as High Representative for EU Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana and EU External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten.

According to diplomatic sources, Powell appeared confident over the outcome of the Iraq conflict in favour of the US-led allied forces, stressing that the question was now how the post-war reconstruction was going to be carried out.

Referring to the post-Saddam period in Iraq, Powell let it be understood that the Middle East country would come under a US military administration for some time, although he refrained from specifying the duration of such period.

He added that Washingtons target was not Iraqs natural resources, as it is often argued in the media, but to impose a new, democratic government.

The same sources quoted Powell as saying that the US wants the United Nations and NATO be highly involved in Iraqs post-war rebuilding efforts, with the UN undertaking a primary role in provision of humanitarian aid and probably passing a resolution sanctioning US-led action on Iraq.

Speaking on behalf of the Unions ?15?, Papandreou expressed concern over developments in Iraq, noting European public opinions objections to the war. He also cited a recent decision by the EU Council on dealing with the humanitarian crisis in Iraq, while underlining that if the UN was to be involved in providing such aid certain issues would first need to be clarified.

With regard to NATOs involvement in post-war Iraq, Papandreou expressed reservations by saying that such a development might provoke reactions by the Arab world. He further noted that current EU-US relations were not satisfactory and that certain initiatives should be taken for an improvement.

International crises are today of such a nature that no country can resolve by itself, Papandreou was quoted as saying by diplomatic sources, and further let it be understood that the EU was considering a second UN resolution in case the international body was called to provide its services in the humanitarian aid area after the war in Iraq was over.

[02] Thousands march to British and U.S. embassies in massive anti-war rally

Thousands of people, including many Iraqi immigrants, marched to the embassies of Britain and the United States on Thursday night, following an anti-war rally organised by the Greek Communist Party at Syntagma Square in Athens.

The demonstrators, wielding torches, shouted anti-war and anti-American slogans, as well as slogans against ''the imperialist crime against the people of Iraq.''

KKE Secretary General Aleka Papariga, the main speaker at the rally, said ''the imperialists have no right to decide who will disarm,'' adding that they are enemies of peoples and not liberators.

She further said they want Iraq to become a huge American base to enable them to organise a new round of attacks against neighbouring countries, based on the doctrine of reconstructing the Arab world.

Papariga called for the unity of the Greek people to enable Greece ''to exit from the slaughterhouse,'' shutting down the Souda base and other facilities to prevent them from being used in the future against Syria, Iran, etc.

The Communist party leader warned that ''the imperialists have decided to impose the peace of submission and resignation and the peace of the graveyard.''

[03] Turkish PM thanks Greece for cooperation in ending plane hijacking

ISTANBUL (ANA - A. Kourkoulas) - Turkish premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday sent a letter to his Greek counterpart Costas Simitis, thanking him for the Greek government's cooperation in safely ending the hijacking of a passenger aircraft on a domestic flight within Turkey the previous week.

The Turkish hijacker, who was reputedly mentally ill, made the pilot land the plane at Athens international airport. Greek negotiators persuaded him to let the passengers and crew get off the aircraft unhurt before they stormed the plane and placed him under arrest.

''This unfortunate event proves the importance of cooperation between two governments. Relations beween Turkey and Greece have become stronger after this event,'' the letter said.

[04] GNTO announces increased tourist arrivals from Austria, Italy

Tourist arrivals from Austria and Italy are steadily increasing in the last few weeks despite international uncertainties because of the war in Iraq, Greece's National Tourism Organisation said on Thursday.

GNTO said that tourism authorities were making efforts to secure more rooms and charter flights for destinations with high demand such as Crete and Rhodes.

According to date by the Economic Chamber of Vienna, the Austrian pensioners' union has announced plans to send 2,000 pensioners for a weekly vacation to Rhodes in the next five weeks, a programme likely to be repeated in 2004, if succeeded.

Also, Gulet Touristik said it was adding one more flight to Crete during the Catholic church's Easter holiday and the Salzburg pensioners' union said it would send 6,000 of its members to Crete in the period April-May.

Greek tourism authorities said that a group of 2,000 Italians originally scheduled to visit the Red Sea region in the Middle East has decided to visit Crete instead, because of the war in the region.

[05] Greek-Russian business cooperation group set up in Thessaloniki

The creation was announced on Thursday of the Association for Greek-Russian Business Cooperation in the northern port city of Thessaloniki.

The association already has a presence in Larissa, and in three Russian cities.

The newly created association will seek to promote bilateral economic, trade and investment initiatives.

[06] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.078

Pound sterling 0.690

Danish kroner 7.485

Swedish kroner 9.275

Japanese yen 128.8

Swiss franc 1.497

Norwegian kroner 7.887

Cyprus pound 0.589

Canadian dollar 1.589

Australian dollar 1.807

[07] Weather Forecast: Overcast, rainy on Friday

Scattered cloud and rain are forecast in all parts of the country, especially later in the day, spreading over the mainland from the west, which will also seen storms. Winds variable, moderate to very strong, turning gale force in some sea areas. In the north, temperatures will range from 4C to 14C; in the Ionian and on the rest of the mainland from 6C to 16C; and in the Aegean islands from 10C to 15C. Temperatures in Athens between 8C and 16C; and in Thessaloniki from 5C to 13C.

[08] Greek stocks end 0.71 percent up on Thursday

Greek stocks ended higher on Thursday, extending their previous session's advance in the Athens Stock Exchange with market sentiment improved by optimism over the duration of a war in Iraq.

The general index ended 0.71 percent up at 1,518.02 points, with turnover a low 70.3 million euros.

The Textile, Wholesale and IT Solution sectors scored the biggest percentage gains of the day (3.73 percent, 2.77 percent and 2.69 percent, respectively), while the Investment (0.42 percent), Telecommunications (0.27 percent) and Metal (0.21 percent) sectors suffered losses.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks rose 0.71 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index ended 1.07 percent higher and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index rose 0.97 percent. The wider FTSE/ASE 140 index ended 0.80 percent up.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 229 to 79 with another 52 issues unchanged.

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