Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-07-16

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

CONTENTS

[01] Greek and Italian FMs discuss Cyprus, Balkans and Middle East

[02] Onassis foundation to publish Lloyd's List articles on Aristotle

[03] Piraeus Port Authority to hold IPO on July 23-25

[04] Weather Forecast: Hot and sunny on Thursday

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates - Thursday

[06] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks end higher in bid to consolidate

[01] Greek and Italian FMs discuss Cyprus, Balkans and Middle East

Foreign Minister George Papandreou and his Italian counterpart and European Union Council of Ministers President Franco Fratini discussed the issue of Cyprus, the Balkans and the Middle East in talks held in Athens on Wednesday.

Fratini said later the Italian EU presidency sees no other reliable and serious alternative proposal than the Annan plan for the continuation discussions on the Cyprus issue.

The Italian foreign minister said his country will do all it can during its six-month mandate at the Union's presidency to have the Turkish Cypriot side persuaded to sit at the negotiating table.

Papandreou said recent statements by Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash are in no way compatible with the effort being made, adding that the opportunity currently being presented must not be lost and existing conditions must be utilised.

He also said the Cyprus issue was among issues discussed at length and in depth in contacts between Prime Minister Costas Simitis and Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, where the existence of a new European dynamic was ascertained which gives hope, but there should be real will on the part of Denktash and Ankara for it to reach a common solution.

[02] Onassis foundation to publish Lloyd's List articles on Aristotle Onassis

The Athens-based Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation, in honour of its founder late Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis, obtained the consent of the London-based Lloyd's List shipping journal to issue a one-volume publication containing the full texts of three features on Onassis that the journal had published in previous years.

The three four-page Lloyd's features that were published on 30 March 2000, 1 June 2000 and 6 July 2001 present many unknown aspects of the illustrious business course of Onassis.

[03] Piraeus Port Authority to hold IPO on July 23-25

Piraeus Port Authority SA is to hold an initial public offer (IPO) for listing on the Athens bourse's main market on July 23-25, managing director Sotiris Theofanis said on Wednesday.

On offer are 6,072,000 existing common shares with another 303,000 stocks destined for private placement. The paper is owned by the Greek state, Theofanis told a news conference.

The company's earnings before tax in 2002 were 30.1 million euros on turnover of 130.8 million euros; and its investment plan for 2003-2007 totals 429 million euros, he said.

The main underwriters and coordinators of the IPO are EFG Eurobank Ergasias SA and Agricultural Bank of Greece SA, both quoted on the Athens bourse.

[04] Weather Forecast: Hot and sunny on Thursday

Sunny weather is forecast in all parts of the country. Winds northwesterly, light to moderate. In the Ionian, temperatures will range from 22C to 36C; on the mainland from 18C to 38C; and in the Aegean islands from 23C to 34C. Temperatures in Athens will range between 24C and 38; and in Thessaloniki from 22 to 36.

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates - Thursday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.122

Pound sterling 0.706

Danish kroner 7.493

Swedish kroner 9.227

Japanese yen 132.9

Swiss franc 1.558

Norwegian kroner 8.425

Cyprus pound 0.591

Canadian dollar 1.566

Australian dollar 1.723

[06] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks end higher in bid to consolidate

The Athens bourse finished higher on Wednesday with the market trying to consolidate, traders said.

The general share index gained 0.35 percent to end at 2,085.41 points. Turnover was 761.3 million euros, fuelled by a block trade in Football Pools Organisation as part of a fresh privatisation of stock.

The FTSE/ASE-20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks ended 0.28 percent up; the FTSE/ASE-40 for medium capitalisation paper 1.04 percent higher; and the FTSE/ASE-80 for small cap equities finished with gains of 0.75 percent.

Of stocks traded, advances led declines at 208 to 121 with 41 issues remaining unchanged.

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