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Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-12-02Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] French FM signs Olympic Truce proclamation in presence of Greek counterpart02/12/2003 23:28:53PARIS (ANA - O. Tsipira) - French Foreign Minister Dominik de Villepin signed the Olympic Truce proclamation on Tuesday morning in the presence of his Greek counterpart George Papandreou. Speaking on the occasion, Papandreou said ''we succeeded in reviving the modern-day Olympic Games with the assistance of the French and Pierre de Coubertin in particular. For over 100 years Greek intellectuals had strived to have the idea of the Olympic Games revived. They loved the idea of the Olympic Games so very much. However, at the same time with their revival they also sought the deeper concept, which was achieving a period of peace during the Games.'' Referring to the Olympic Games, Villepin said ''I would like to say that I participated in a Marathon race 20 years ago. There is nothing better than sports competition. The Olympic Games are the best example of a kind of world in which we want to live in, with effort, competition and the seeking of peaceful spirit. For this reason, we must encourage such initiatives, which constitute the best example of our desire for coexistence.'' The signing of the Truce document took place in a hall in the Georges V hotel in Paris in the framework of the session of the annual European Leadership Forum, organised by the economic magazine Business Week. The French foreign minister and his Greek counterpart were the official guests at the conference. They referred to foreign policy, EU enlargement and the Olympic Truce. [02] Greece, Turkey sign double taxation avoidance pact02/12/2003 23:26:39Greece and Turkey on Tuesday signed an agreement that abolishes many instances of double taxation in a move expected to help boost business ties between the two countries. In the wake of five years of negotiations, the pact was signed in Ankara by visiting Finance Minister Nikos Christodoulakis and his Turkish counterpart. The finance ministry said in a statement that the main points of the agreement are as follows: [03] PM meets visiting Communist Party of China official02/12/2003 23:23:41Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Tuesday received visiting Communist Party of China official He Yong, a member of the CPC Central Committee secretariat and deputy secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, who is currently visiting Athens at the head of a CPC delegation. The two men discussed bilateral relations between Greece and China and international affairs. [04] Greek ships account for 40pct of European fleet02/12/2003 23:21:08Merchant Marine Minister George Paschalidis said on Tuesday that Greek ships account for 40 per cent of the European fleet's capacity. The minister told the first meeting of the National Shipping Policy Council that inflows from shipping totalled 9.0 billion euros in 2003. The government's aim was to see modernisation of the country's fleet and ensure safety at sea, he added. [05] Weather Forecast: Cloud, showers on Wednesday02/12/2003 19:06:09Cloudy weather is forecast throughout the country with scattered showers mainly on the eastern mainland, the Cyclades and Crete. Winds variable, moderate to very strong, turning gale force in parts of the Aegean. Temperatures to drop slightly, with a minimum of 11C and maximum of 14C in Athens; and in Thessaloniki, 08C to 11C. [06] Foreign Exchange Rates: Wednesday02/12/2003 18:52:30Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank U.S. dollar 1.207 Pound sterling 0.701 Danish kroner 7.501 Swedish kroner 9.083 Japanese yen 131.9 Swiss franc 1.567 Norwegian kroner 8.228 Cyprus pound 0.588 Canadian dollar 1.576 Australian dollar 1.657 [07] Telecoms, small-caps lead ASE higher on Tuesday02/12/2003 16:44:04Greek stocks resumed their upward trend on Tuesday, after Monday's short-lived correction, in the Athens Stock Exchange with buying interest focusing on smaller capitalisation and telecommunication stocks. The general index rose 0.77 percent to end at 2,180.61 points, with turnover a strong 180.7 million euros. The Telecommunications, Textile and Holding sectors scored the biggest percentage gains of the day 1.86 percent, 1.62 percent and 1.37 percent, respectively), while the Food-Beverage and Publication sectors suffered the heaviest percentage losses (0.51 percent and 0.39 percent, respectively). The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks rose 0.69 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index ended 0.38 percent higher and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index jumped 1.03 percent. Broadly, advancers led decliners by 195 to 101 with another 58 issues unchanged. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |