Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-09-26

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

CONTENTS

[01] Weather Forecast: Scattered cloud on Friday

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

[03] Greek and Turkish FMs agree Cyprus issue must be solved by December

[04] Greek tourism to recover in 2004

[05] Work stoppages at OA next Friday

[01] Weather Forecast: Scattered cloud on Friday

Most parts of the country will see scattered cloud, with showers or storms likely in the centre and north. Winds variable, light to strong. In the north, temperatures will range from 13C to 25C; and in the rest of the country from 15C to 29C. Temperatures in Athens between 18C and 28C; and in Thessaloniki from 15C to 24C.

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates - Friday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.158

Pound sterling 0.698

Danish kroner 7.487

Swedish kroner 8.955

Japanese yen 129.3

Swiss franc 1.561

Norwegian kroner 8.108

Cyprus pound 0.588

Canadian dollar 1.564

Australian dollar 1.698

[03] Greek and Turkish FMs agree Cyprus issue must be solved by December 2004

NEW YORK (ANA/P. Panagiotou) - Foreign Minister George Papandreou and his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul agreed here on Thursday that a solution to the protracted Cyprus problem must be found by December 2004 when the European Union will examine Turkey's request to be given a date for the beginning of accession negotiations.

Papandreou and Gul held talks on the sidelines of the 58th UN General Assembly focusing also on issues to be discussed in Athens during the Turkish foreign minister's official visit on October 21.

In statements after their meeting, the two ministers said they agreed on the need for strengthening Confidence-Building Measures, as discussions have been shaped both within the framework of the NATO alliance and between the political directors of the two countries' foreign ministries.

Replying to questions by the press, Papandreou said what is desired is to see how agreements made to date have progressed and how others can be achieved.

Apart from the framework of Greek-Turkish relations, they discussed the Cyprus issue and Turkey's European prospects in relation to the evaluation of the report at the Council of Ministers, due to be tabled in early November.

Replying to a questioner on the Cyprus issue and on whether his government accepts the Annan plan as a basis for negotiations, Gul replied affirmatively on condition, however, amendments are made which are acceptable by both sides to enable dialogue to go ahead.

Gul also said he agreed with all that his Greek counterpart had stated beforehand.

[04] Greek tourism to recover in 2004

Greek tourism is expected to recover in 2004 with the Athens Olympic Games, Greece's National Tourism Organisation's president Yiannis Patellis said on Thursday.

In a statement released on the occassion of celebrating the World Tourism Day in September 27, Patellis stressed that the tourism sector employs directly 300,000 people and another 200,000 indirectly. He predicted that the industry could create another 200,000 jobs by 2010.

Patellis underlined that GNTO has drafted a special long-term programme of tourist development, based on the adoption of integrated regional surveys aimed to specialise the country's tourist product.

[05] Work stoppages at OA next Friday

The union representing state-owned Olympic Airways (OA) in-flight staff (stewards and air hostesses) on Thursday announced three-hour work stoppages for next Friday, with representatives claiming that the debt-ridden national carrier is training contract staff and bypassing its permanent employees.

The latest industrial action come in light of another bill last month aimed at restructuring the long-ailing air carrier.

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