Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-12-05

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

CONTENTS

[01] Foreign Exchange Rates: Friday

[02] Weather Forecast: Mostly sunny on Friday

[03] FM calls Powell's statements on EU defense 'mild'

[04] PM addresses conference on 'Modern socialists and new responses'

[01] Foreign Exchange Rates: Friday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.217

Pound sterling 0.706

Danish kroner 7.501

Swedish kroner 9.034

Japanese yen 131.7

Swiss franc 1.570

Norwegian kroner 8.155

Cyprus pound 0.588

Canadian dollar 1.591

Australian dollar 1.655

[02] Weather Forecast: Mostly sunny on Friday

Sunny weather is forecast throughout the country with scattered cloud over the eastern mainland and northern Crete. Winds variable moderate. Temperatures to drop slightly, with a minimum of 08C and maximum of 16C in Athens; and in Thessaloniki, 05C to 13C.

[03] FM calls Powell's statements on EU defense 'mild'

BRUSSELS (ANA - G. Zitouniati) - Foreign Minister George Papandreou on Thursday called ''mild'' the statements made by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on European defense during the NATO ministers' meeting here.

Papandreou underlined that the differences of opinion in the meeting concerned, mainly, the establishment of a European headquarters and its development, on which several different possibilities were submitted.

''The large infrastructure has been ruled out and the thought for a lighter infrastructure is dominant, that of a nucleus-headquarters or of a European pillar within NATO's headquarters,'' Papandreou said, stressing, however, that the issue is still outstanding and that it was not discussed extensively.

He also said that disagreements were voiced within the EU, mainly by countries of Eastern Europe, while disagreements were also noted concerning a clause of mutual assistance.

Papandreou stressed, however, that an initiative of the Greek EU presidency was still in development at an experts level on the issue of a European Armaments Service, which was decided during the Thessaloniki EU Summit.

[04] PM addresses conference on 'Modern socialists and new responses'

Prime Minister Costas Simitis addressed a conference organised by his ruling PASOK party on Thursday on ''Modern socialists and new responses'', making a presentation of the modern-day left in Greece and Europe.

Simitis said the modern socialists are the side capable of winning the wager of politics in the 21st century. Referring both to PASOK and other European socialist parties having experience in government, he said after this experience in government ''we are the responsible left'', the left which lives and is fuelled by its relation with life, which tries to turn its ideals into practice and to implement them in conditions which are changing constantly and which proposes and implements policies, as well as practical solutions.

The prime minister said this left is the one which can guarantee a safe future of prosperity for every citizen and for every person in this country.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder also sent a message to the conference.

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