Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-05-30

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

CONTENTS

[01] Coalition leader recommends change in party's name

[02] Parliament president opens EU Parliamentary environment committees

[03] Bakoyianni in Turkey for official visit

[04] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

[05] Weather Forecast: Showers forecast for Saturday

[06] Greek stocks end 0.95 pct down in May

[01] Coalition leader recommends change in party's name

Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) leader Nikos Constantopoulos, speaking at the start of the party's Programme Conference on Friday, addressed a recommendation for a change in the party's name to ''Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology'' ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

Addressing the 1,700 delegates present at the conference, Constantopoulos reiterated the basic directive lines of the party's policy which is European orientation, the need for a new European left, opposition to neo-liberalism and the disagreements with the policies of both the ruling PASOK government and the main opposition New Democracy (ND) party.

[02] Parliament president opens EU Parliamentary environment committees meeting

The sessions of a two-day meeting of the Environment Committees of the Parliaments of the EU member-states and of the European Parliament began at the Greek Parliament on Friday.

Attending the meeting are representatives of the government, scientific agencies and ecolocical organisations.

Addressing the opening of the sessions, Greek Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis said ''enclaved in a society of sterile competitiveness in pursuit of wealth and under the avalanche of very powerful advertising mechanisms, we are unable to conceive the total image of the planet, but also to get involved in the endless quest for material goods.''

This fact, he said, not only brings about catastrophic repercussions to the basic quality of the life of people, who always remain unhappy, given that they constantly seek more, but also to their social and political behaviour, as everything is judged only by the size of their economic performance.''

[03] Bakoyianni in Turkey for official visit

ISTANBUL (ANA) Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyianni arrived here on Friday for the 4th Balkan Political Club Conference, where she will preside over sessions focusing the topic of ?cultural heritage and regional identity?.

On Monday, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan will receive Bakoyianni in Ankara, while she will previously meet with her Istanbul counterpart, Ali Mufit Gurtuna, and attend the inauguration of a park in the city.

[04] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.191

Pound sterling 0.725

Danish kroner 7.483

Swedish kroner 9.223

Japanese yen 141.4

Swiss franc 1.539

Norwegian kroner 7.941

Cyprus pound 0.591

Canadian dollar 1.634

Australian dollar 1.828

[05] Weather Forecast: Showers forecast for Saturday

Cloudy with a chance for showers is forecast for Saturday throughout the country, with highest possibility in the south, southeast . Winds variable, moderate to strong. In the north, temperatures will range from 15C to 25C in the north; from 14C to 27C in the west and from 17C to 26C in the rest of the country. Temperatures in Athens between 18C and 26C; and in Thessaloniki from 17C to 24C.

[06] Greek stocks end 0.95 pct down in May

Greek stocks ended lower the last trading session of the week in the Athens Stock Exchange, and at the same time ending a month of stabilisation in the Greek market.

The general index ended 0.28 percent lower at 1,707.54 points, reflecting increased profit taking in smaller capitalisation stocks. The index ended the week 0.78 percent higher, but down 0.95 percent in May.

Turnover was an improved 161.4 million euros for a new record high in 2003.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks fell 0.44 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index rose 0.07 percent and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index ended 0.87 percent down.

The IT Solutions and Wholesale sectors suffered the heaviest percentage losses of the day (2.92 percent and 0.96 percent, respectively), while the retail and food-beverage sectors scored the biggest percentage gains (2.39 percent and 1.15 percent, respectively).

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 190 to 105 with another 61 issues unchanged.

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