Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-06-09

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

CONTENTS

[01] Athens mayor visits Moscow proposes exhibition with Treasures of Troy

[02] Consumers' group warns against deceptive ads by 3 sectors

[03] Greek stocks fall slightly on Monday

[04] Weather Forecast: Hot and sunny on Tuesday

[05] Culture minister presents Cultural Olympiad emblem

[06] Alpha Bank cuts interest rates, tracking ECB

[07] Foreign Exchange Rates - Tuesday

[01] Athens mayor visits Moscow proposes exhibition with Treasures of Troy

Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyianni on Monday proposed to the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Razov the organizing of an exhibition of the Treasures of Troy in Athens during the 2004 Olympic Games.

According to a press release of the municipality of Athens, during her visit to Moscow, Bakoyianni spoke on the preparations for the Athens 2004 Games and stressed that ''Athens will welcome with joy such an exhibition and it will be a good idea to represent Russia in 2004 in Athens in this way''.

''Our aim is to reinforce the bonds between the two countries and of the two cities and we want the impression of Athens the visitors will go away with,'' she said.

Later in the day, Bakoyianni was hosted to a dinner by the Russian State Technology Academy.

[02] Consumers' group warns against deceptive ads by 3 sectors

The Athens-based Consumers Institute (IN.KA) on Monday warned that diet and weight-loss centres, telephone sales, as well as firm selling time shares were the pre-eminent threat to local consumers.

IN.KA charged that most instances of deceptive advertising and sales were reported against businesses in those three sectors, while the group called on the government to take steps to protect consumers.

[03] Greek stocks fall slightly on Monday

Greek stocks mostly hovered around Fridays levels on Monday, following record highs for the year on the Athens Stock Exchange during that previous session, which mostly followed gains in other European markets.

The Greek bourse began the week with a 0.44-percent decline from Fridays session, with the general index closing at 1,868.46 points. Turnover stood at 185.6 million euros.

IT Solutions led specific indices in terms of gains (+3.30 percent), followed by Food/Beverages (+2.71 percent) and Publications (+2.48 percent). Conversely, Minerals (-1.58 percent), textiles (-1.35 percent) and Industrials (-1.05 percent) posted the biggest sector losses.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks fell 0.34 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index ended 0.38 percent lower, while the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index also fell 0.42 percent.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 202 to 128 with another 36 issues unchanged.

[04] Weather Forecast: Hot and sunny on Tuesday

The day will be sunny, with isolated storms likely on high ground in Epirus and Macedonia. Winds northerly, light to strong. In the Ionian, temperatures will range from 20C to 32C; on the mainland from 18C to 34C; and in the Aegean islands from 21C to 30C. Temperatures in Athens between 23C and 34C; and in Thessaloniki from 21C to 33C.

[05] Culture minister presents Cultural Olympiad emblem

Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos, in the presence of Cultural Olympiad President Evgenios Yiannakopoulos on Monday presented the emblem of the Cultural Olympiad which will accompany all of its cultural activities until August 2004.

Taking part in the creation of the emblem were artists from New York, Johannseburg, Shanghai, Dubai, London and Athens who each depicted, in their own manner, the value of their own culture.

The culture minister said the emblem transfers the message of the ''Celebration of Cultures''.

The emblem consists of concentric circle in the interior of which are distinguished separate elaborate colours.

[06] Alpha Bank cuts interest rates, tracking ECB

Alpha Bank, a blue chip on the Athens bourse and the country's second largest bank, said on Monday that it will lower selected rates, effective on June 17, tracking a rate cut last week by the European Central Bank.

Mortgages, consumer loan rates and credit card rates will drop by 50 basis points. Business loans are to remain unchanged, Alpha Bank said in a statement.

Rates on deposits will drop by 10 basis points to 25 basis points in line with the product and amount deposited, the statement said.

[07] Foreign Exchange Rates - Tuesday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.182

Pound sterling 0.713

Danish kroner 7.483

Swedish kroner 9.188

Japanese yen 139.7

Swiss franc 1.557

Norwegian kroner 8.221

Cyprus pound 0.590

Canadian dollar 1.614

Australian dollar 1.791

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