Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-07-15

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

CONTENTS

[01] Greek and Italian presidents discuss future of Europe

[02] PM chairs meeting on monitoring market prices, combatting profiteering

[03] First Greek Patient Implanted with mechanical heart pump

[04] Ecumenical patriarch to pay five-day visit to Lemnos and Agios

[05] Weather Forecast: Hot and sunny on Wednesday

[06] Greek stocks jump to new year highs on Tuesday

[01] Greek and Italian presidents discuss future of Europe

President Kostis Stefanopoulos discussed the future of Europe with his Italian counterpart Carlo Azeglio Ciampi on Tuesday, who arrived in Athens on a three-day official visit.

Speaking to reporters later, President Stefanopoulos said the visit is very important since Greece and Italy are proceeding towards common targets in the European Union.

He added that both agreed on the common pursuits in that Europe must obtain a closer and single policy in many sectors, it must develop more its economy, the competitiveness of its products, the development of research and the training of its citizens and become a global pole for the dissemination of its great concepts.

The Greek president wished every success for the Italy's EU presidency to enable the preparation of the European constitution to meet with success and to which the hopes of all European peoples are directed.

''It is wonderful for one to be in Athens, it is wonderful that I am in Athens,'' said President Ciampi, who added that his meeting with President Stefanopoulos was more than an exchange of official visits.

President Ciampi said the two countries' participation in the EU strengthened their historic relations, adding that current relations between them are strong and close both on a bilateral and a European level.

He further stressed that the two countries must find themselves together in the front line in handling dramatic situations, primarily in the Mediterraanean region.

[02] PM chairs meeting on monitoring market prices, combatting profiteering

Issues concerning the market and the recent wave of high prices were the focus of a meeting Tuesday chaired by prime minister Costas Simitis with development minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos, deputy ministers Kimon Koulouris and Dimitris Georgakopoulos, and ruling PASOK party secretary Michalis Chryssochoidis.

After the meeting, Tsohatzopoulos told reporters that ''the front against profiteering is a policy priority, and in that direction a series of institutional measures are being advanced''.

[03] First Greek Patient Implanted with mechanical heart pump

The first Greek patient was on Tuesday successfully implanted with a DeBakey Ventricular Assist Device, a miniature heart pump based on NASA technology, at a hospital in Thessaloniki, northern Greece.

Dr. Panayiotis Spyrou, the cardiovascular surgeon at Thessaloniki's Inter-Balkan Medical Center who headed the medical team that implanted the VAD into a 54-year-old man in a five-hour operation, said he was very happy with the outcome.

''I am very happy that with the help of God and my associates, the operation went very well. The patient is recovering in the intensive care, and we hope that he will go home soon'', Dr. Spyrou said.

Based on technology used in Space Shuttle fuel pumps, the miniature heart pump was named after US cardio-surgeon Michael DeBakey and is intended as a long-term ''bridge'' to a heart transplant or as a semi-permanent device to help patients toward recovery and a more normal life.

[04] Ecumenical patriarch to pay five-day visit to Lemnos and Agios Efstratios

Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos will begin a five-day visit to the Aegean islands of Lemnos and Agios Efstratios on Wednesday.

He will be welcomed at Lemnos airport in the morning by metropolitans, Minister of the Aegean Nikos Sifounakis, deputies and local and military authorities.

Afterwards, he will be received by the mayor of Myrina, who will offer the city's Golden Key to him and attend a church service at the cathedral.

Vartholomeos will visit Agios Efstratios on Saturday and he is expected to leave Lemnos on Sunday afternoon.

[05] Weather Forecast: Hot and sunny on Wednesday

Sunny weather is forecast in all parts of the country. Winds north-northwesterly, light to moderate. In the west, temperatures will range from 19C to 36C; on the rest of the mainland from 17C to 35C; and in the Aegean islands from 22C to 32C. Temperatures in Athens will range between 24C and 35C; and in Thessaloniki from 23C to 33C.

[06] Greek stocks jump to new year highs on Tuesday

Greek stocks surged to new year highs on Tuesday offering more surprises to investors and discrediting pessimistic forecasts over the course of the Athens Stock Exchange.

The general index ended 1.77 percent higher at 2,078.12 points, a new record high for the year, reflecting strong gains in blue chip stocks that have remained in the shadow for much of the first half of 2003, such as Intracom, Hellenic Bottling, Public Power Corporation and Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation which recorded gains ranging from 3.0 to 5.88 percent.

All sector indices ended higher, led by Publications (6.27 percent), Base Metals (3.35 percent) and Industrials (2.59 percent).

Turnover was a hefty 219.3 million euros.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks rose 1.62 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index ended 2.12 percent higher, and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index rose 1.75 percent.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 243 to 73 with another 50 issues unchanged.

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