Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-12-01

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

CONTENTS

[01] Greece submits Stability and Growth Programme for 2004/06

[02] FM says Geneva initiative 'one more opportunity for peace' in Middle

[03] PM sends messages of condolences to Spanish, Japanese counterparts

[04] PM discusses developments in EU with European Commission president

[05] Finmin to meet Turkish premier on Tuesday

[06] Week of events for disabled begins in Athens

[07] Rolling strike in Olympic Airways to ground more flights

[08] Weather Forecast: Cloud, showers on Tuesday

[09] Foreign Exchange Rates: Tuesday

[10] Greek stocks end lower on Monday

[01] Greece submits Stability and Growth Programme for 2004/06

Greece's Stability and Growth Programme, submitted by the economy and finance ministry to the European Commission, envisages growth rates of 4.2 percent in 2004, a reduction of unemployment to 8.0 percent and an inflation rate of 3.0 percent.

The programme forecasts a reduction of the country's fiscal deficit to 1.2 percent of Gross Domestic Product, and a public debt at 98.5 percent of GDP in 2004.

Greece's stability programme is focusing on reducing public debt, balancing the state budget and boosting both the country's gross domestic product and investments.

[02] FM says Geneva initiative 'one more opportunity for peace' in Middle East

Foreign Minister George Papandreou, referring to Monday's meeting in Geneva on peace in the Middle East, said ''there is one more opportunity for peace. This is the message of the Geneva meeting and it is a message concerning all of us. We have a historic responsibility to help it to become practice.''

Papandreou further said Monday is a day of hope for peace in the Middle East, for the peoples of Israel and Palestine and added that Israelis and Palestinians, personalities having struggled all their life against force and having worked for the peaceful coesistence of the two peoples, proved with the Geneva document that a solution exists, that there is a future and nothing has been lost when peoples mobilise themselves against steadfast views and interests, with respect for the process of dialogue and with bold moves of mutual compromises.

[03] PM sends messages of condolences to Spanish, Japanese counterparts

Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Monday sent messages of condolences to Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar and his Japanese counterpart Yunihiro Koyzumi on the occasion of the loss of seven Spanish soldiers and two Japanese diplomats in Iraq.

''On behalf of the Greek government and myself personally I would like to express my profound sadness for the loss of the Spanish soldiers who were victims of an attack in Iraq. I convey to you and the families of the victims my most sincere condolences,'' Simitis said in his message to Aznar.

''Deeply shocked by the tragic loss of the two Japanese diplomats who were the victims of an attack in Iraq, I wish to express on behalf of the Greek government and myself personally my profound condolences to you, to the people of your country and primarily to the families of the victims,'' read the message to Koyzumi.

[04] PM discusses developments in EU with European Commission president

Prime Minister Costas Simitis met with European Commission President Romano Prodi on Monday afternoon and reportedly discussed developments in the European Union, also in light of the summit meeting, and the new European constitution in particular.

No statements were made after the meeting.

Simitis and Prodi, as well as Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, attended the event on the Future of Europe at the inauguration of the Concert Hall's International Convention Centre.

[05] Finmin to meet Turkish premier on Tuesday

ISTANBUL (ANA/A.Kourkoulas) - Finance Minister Nikos Christodoulakis is to meet Turkey's prime minister in Ankara on Tuesday during a visit to the neighbouring country.

On Monday, Christodoulakis addressed Turkish business executives in Istanbul before flying to Ankara to meet his counterpart.

[06] Week of events for disabled begins in Athens

A week of events for the disabled, which will take in the international day for people with disabilities on December 3, began on Monday in Athens at the National Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled.

Among those attending the opening ceremony were the prime minister's wife Daphne Simitis and Health Minister Costas Stefanis.

Mrs Simitis and Stefanis were shown around the Foundation and inaugurated an exhibition of art created by disabled artists.

Stefanis stressed during his speech that he would strive to meet the demands of people with special needs and the people working at the foundation, which he said needed further improvements.

[07] Rolling strike in Olympic Airways to ground more flights

Flight attendants of Olympic Airways on Monday announced two fresh 48-hour rolling strikes that will ground many domestic flights until the end of the week.

Other flights are to be merged employing larger aircraft, with some passengers redirected to other airlines.

The attendants are protesting against the government's plan to form a new airline from Olympic through privatisation.

[08] Weather Forecast: Cloud, showers on Tuesday

Cloudy weather is forecast throughout the country with scattered showers mainly in the east and south. Winds variable, light to strong. Temperatures to remain the same, with a minimum of 10C and maximum of 15C in Athens; and in Thessaloniki, 08C to 14C.

[09] Foreign Exchange Rates: Tuesday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.211

Pound sterling 0.702

Danish kroner 7.499

Swedish kroner 9.090

Japanese yen 132.4

Swiss franc 1.562

Norwegian kroner 8.240

Cyprus pound 0.588

Canadian dollar 1.574

Australian dollar 1.666

[10] Greek stocks end lower on Monday

Greek stocks ended slightly lower on Monday with the Athens Stock Exchange unable to follow a rally in other European bourses.

Traders said the domestic market showed signs of "fatigue" after last week's rally.

The general index fell 0.28 percent to end at 2,163.93 points, with turnover a moderate 103.5 million euros.

The Textile, Wholesale and Telecommunications sectors scored the biggest percentage gains of the day (1.19 percent, 0.90 percent and 0.73 percent, respectively), while the Industrial (1.93 percent), Holdings (1.18 percent) and Base Metals (1.02 percent) sectors suffered the heaviest percentage losses.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks fell by 0.29 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index eased 0.10 percent and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index rose 0.43 percent.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 158 to 131 with another 68 issues unchanged.

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