Athens News Agency: News in English, 04-02-20

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM Simitis discusses Olympic Games security with NATO Secretary-General

[02] US confident Greece has 'will and resources' for secure and successful

[03] PASOK leader presents party programme for education

[04] ND leader addresses party conference, outlines party policy

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates: Monday

[06] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks nose down in pressure on mid-cap paper

[01] PM Simitis discusses Olympic Games security with NATO Secretary-General

Prime Minister Costas Simitis met on Friday with NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Schefferwho is currently visiting all the capitals of the NATO-member countries.

The Greek prime minister said during a working luncheon in Athens that Greece's relations with NATO were ''on a very good level,'' adding that he discussed with Scheffer issues which must be dealt with in the coming months, such as NATO presence in the Balkans and the broadening of the Alliance.

Simitis said that NATO-EU relations ''have been built on good foundations,'' noting that ''Greece is willing to contribute in the development of NATO's potential, however, always in the framework of existing possibilities.''

Simitis clarified that ''at this moment of time, due to the Olympic Games and the particular conditions in the region, we do not have the capability of further strengthening the existing forces''.

On the issue of terrorism, Simitis said ''we are cooperating with all the international organisations and the United Nations, with our allies, for the combatting of terrorism, and of course, we want to deal with the causes which provoke terrorist phenomena.''

With regard the Olympic Games, the NATO Secretary-General said that ''it is a very big venture, but I hope that after the Olympic Games, Greece will be able to participate with other countries for the further restructuring of the armed forces in order for there to be 'availability' and the potential for development.''

Asked by reporters whether the probability of NATO participation or assistance on security matters during the Olympic Games was discussed, Simitis said:''Greece is cooperating with many countries and there is also close cooperation with certain of them to deal with the possibility of terrorist acts during the Olympic Games. And this is absolutely necessary because the Olympic Games are not Games of a restricted size. They are Games which focus world attention."

[02] US confident Greece has 'will and resources' for secure and successful Olympics

WASHINGTON (ANA/T. Ellis) -- The United States has every confidence that Greece has the will and the resources to hold secure and successful Olympic Games, US state department spokesman Richard Boucher said Thursday.

Asked to comment on negative statements by Senator Jon Kyl (Rep-Arizona) in a lecture, suggesting that Americans should stay home from the summer Olympics in Athens, Boucher said: ''We've said before and say again today, that we have every confidence that Greece has the will and the resources to hold a secure and successful Olympics this year.''

''Greece continues to work with several countries, including the United States, to ensure the full safety of the Olympic Games,'' Boucher said, adding that the US has ''offered expertise and resources of several of our agencies to Greece in order to ensure Olympic security and we are providing both equipment and training toward that end.''

[03] PASOK leader presents party programme for education

PASOK leader George Papandreou on Friday pledged to begin a wide-ranging dialogue with the educational establishment about reforming the exam system immediately after the elections if he is elected prime minister on March 7.

Presenting his party's programme for education, he noted that the goals was to limit the anxiety of candidates, the number of exams and the financial burden for parents.

One proposal made by Papandreou was that candidates will be enrolled in schools rather than university departments and be free to transfer.

Regarding secondary education, he said schools will be decentralised and be able to organise their own programme of studies and choose their own books, without the cost burdening the parents.

Repeating his earlier position in favour of establishing non-state, non-profit universities within the framework of the Constitution, Papandreou also stressed plans to abolish DIKATSA.

He referred to the option that will be given to all higher educational institutes to create new departments and determine areas where postgraduate programmes will operate.

Papandreou said he intended to merge the education and labour ministries in certain areas, particularly those of employment and vocational training, while stressing that the primary concern was investing in human resources.

He also promised to extend the institution of all-day schools to high schools and later to schools for children with special needs.

Finally, Papandreou announced plans to create a television channel for the education sector.

[04] ND leader addresses party conference, outlines party policy

Main opposition New Democracy party leader Costas Karamanlis addressed a party policy conference in the Athens district of Peristeri on Friday, outlining the policy he will follow and promising to implement positions already announced by the party in all sectors.

''There is absolutely no doubt any more that the system of PASOK is collapsing and is attempting now to cheat and deceive and to convince that it had not been the one which had ruled for 20 years. It is trying to disorientate public opinion, disinform citizens and create confusion in society,'' he said.

Karamanlis spoke of a new governance, saying this means ''our tangible reply to the problems and expectations of society.''

Referring to the ruling PASOK party, he further said ''today, we are neither seeing a programme nor policies in PASOK. We are hearing vague proposals which lack essence and whose only aim is sensationalism, an apology in general and have no explanation about the mistake and with a stressful invocation of phobic dilemmas and modern populism.''

[05] Foreign Exchange Rates: Monday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.276

Pound sterling 0.678

Danish kroner 7.510

Swedish kroner 9.260

Japanese yen 137.6

Swiss franc 1.588

Norwegian kroner 8.893

Cyprus pound 0.590

Canadian dollar 1.703

Australian dollar 1.624

[06] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks nose down in pressure on mid-cap paper

The Athens bourse finished lower on Friday with medium capitalisation stocks the hardest hit but some buying interest seen in small cap stocks, traders said.

The general share index shed 0.15 per cent to end at 2,465.39 points. Turnover was 106.3 million euros.

The FTSE/ASE-20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks ended 0.11 per cent down; the FTSE/ASE-40 for medium capitalisation paper 0.81 per cent lower; and the FTSE/ASE-80 for small cap equities finished with gains of 0.55 percent.

Of stocks traded, declines led advances at 143 to 141 with 72 issues remaining unchanged.

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