Athens News Agency: News in English, 04-03-09

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM-elect Costas Karamanlis unveils Cabinet

[02] White House congratulates Karamanlis, New Democracy party

[03] Cyprus president in Athens on Saturday for talks with Greek PM

[04] Stavros Dimas, proposed for Greek EU commissioner, says realises great

[05] Bakoyianni to CNN on Olympics security

[06] Weather Forecast: �vercast on Wednesday

[07] Foreign Exchange Rates: Wednesday

[08] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks fall in selling

[09] PM-elect Costas Karamanlis unveils Cabinet (Adds more details)

[01] PM-elect Costas Karamanlis unveils Cabinet

The composition of the New Democracy government formed by Prime minister-elect Costas Karamanlis was announced at 15:00 on Tuesday by Theodoros Roussopoulos, who will henceforth take over as Minister of State and government spokesman.

The new government will be sworn in on Wednesday morning at 11:00 by President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos.

Karamanlis, leader of the New Democracy (ND) party that emerged victorious in Sunday's general elections with a comfortable 165-seat majority in the 300-seat Parliament, will take over the Culture Ministry, as well as the premiership.

The 46-member government, including the premier, comprises 19 ministers, 1 alternate minister, and 26 deputy ministers. There are two women within its ranks, while ND has also proposed Anna Psarouda-Benaki for Parliament speaker - the first time a woman has ever held this post in the Greek Parliament.

The Press and Media ministry is being abolished and its services will be attached to the prime minister's office. It was also announced that Stavros Dimas will be taking over as the Greek European Commissioner.

After the new government is sworn in, the new premier will go to Maximos Mansion, where the prime minister's office will be formally handed over by outgoing premier Costas Simitis, after which the new Cabinet will hold its first meeting.

[02] White House congratulates Karamanlis, New Democracy party

WASHINGTON (ANA/T. Ellis) - The U.S. government's congratulations to Greece's prime minister-elect Costas Karamanlis and to the New Democracy party on their victory in Sunday's general elections, was conveyed on Tuesday by White House spokesman Scott McClellan who noted ''the close bonds of friendship and cooperation linking the two countries.''

During his regular press briefing, McClellan also referred to the need for a political settlement of the Cyprus issue, as well as to the issue of the security of the Olympic Games in Athens this summer, on which, he said, ''the U.S. attributes great attention and importance.''

[03] Cyprus president in Athens on Saturday for talks with Greek PM

NICOSIA (ANA/G. Leonidas)-Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos will leave for Athens on Saturday for talks with Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis on Sunday, it was announced here on Tuesday.

In another development, President Papadopoulos held an emergency meeting with party leaders on Tuesday in light of the beginning of substantive negotiations on Thursday.

[04] Stavros Dimas, proposed for Greek EU commissioner, says realises great honour

New Democracy deputy Stavros Dimas, proposed by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis for the post of Greek European Union commissioner, said on Tuesday he ''fully realises the great honour'' bestowed upon him, as well as the ''responsibility he will undertake towards the citizens of Greece and Europe.''

Dimas said the EU's enlargement from 15 to 25 member-states, strengthening its role on the international scene, the prospect of the European constitution being ratified, the new agricultural policy and the 4th Community Support Framework are issues which will influence the shaping and implementation of the new government policy substantively.

[05] Bakoyianni to CNN on Olympics security

Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyianni reiterated that Greece and 2004 Olympics organisers (ATHOC) are doing ''everything humanly possible'' to ensure safe Olympic Games in August, in comments this week to the CNN news network.

Besides citing the massive budget allocated for security, more than 700 million euros at present, she noted that a city on ''red alert'' is never an easy target.

Asked about would-be visitors who may fear coming to Athens due to the spectre of international terrorism, the popular Athens mayor replied that if we changed our lives and plans we would only be bowing to terrorists.

Finally, she dismissed any notion that the notorious ''al-Qaeda'' group has ever been active on Greek soil.

[06] Weather Forecast: �vercast on Wednesday

Overcast weather is forecast in all parts of the country, possibly turning to showers. There will be rain and storms in Thrace, the eastern Aegean islands and the Dodecanese islands. Winds west-northwesterly, moderate to very strong. Temperatures in Athens 8C to 15C and in Thessaloniki from 6C to 10C.

[07] Foreign Exchange Rates: Wednesday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.246

Pound sterling 0.677

Danish kroner 7.511

Swedish kroner 9.238

Japanese yen 138.8

Swiss franc 1.592

Norwegian kroner 8.713

Cyprus pound 0.590

Canadian dollar 1.652

Australian dollar 1.637

[08] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks fall in selling

The Athens bourse again finished lower on Tuesday as investors opted to sell, traders said.

The general share index lost 0.92 per cent to end at 2,481.08 points. Turnover was 152.3 million euros.

The FTSE/ASE-20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks ended 0.99 per cent down; the FTSE/ASE-40 for medium capitalisation paper 1.88 per cent lower; and the FTSE/ASE-80 for small cap equities lost 2.09 per cent.

Of stocks traded, declines led advances at 270 to 36 with 47 issues remaining unchanged.

[09] PM-elect Costas Karamanlis unveils Cabinet (Adds more details)

The composition of the New Democracy government formed by Prime minister-elect Costas Karamanlis was announced at 15:00 on Tuesday by Theodoros Roussopoulos, who will henceforth take over as Minister of State and government spokesman.

The new government will be sworn in on Wednesday morning at 11:00 by President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos.

Karamanlis, leader of the New Democracy (ND) party that emerged victorious in Sunday's general elections with a comfortable 165-seat majority in the 300-seat Parliament, will take over the Culture Ministry, as well as the premiership.

The 46-member government, including the premier, comprises 19 ministers, 1 alternate minister, and 26 deputy ministers. There are two women within its ranks, while ND has also proposed Anna Psarouda-Benaki for Parliament speaker - the first time a woman has ever held this post in the Greek Parliament.

The new Cabinet is as follows:

Prime Minister: Costas Karamanlis

Minister of Internal Affairs, Public

Administration and Decentralisation: Prokopis Pavlopoulos

Deputy Minister: Apostolos Andreoulakos

Deputy Minister: Athanasios Nakos

Minister of Foreign Affairs: Petros Molyviatis

Deputy Minister: Evripidis Stylianidis

Deputy Minister: Takis Skandalakis

Deputy Minister: Yiannis Valinakis

Minister of National Economy and Finance: George Alogoskoufis

Deputy Minister: Christos Folias

Deputy Minister: Adam Regouzas

Deputy Minister: Petros Doukas

Minister of National Defence: Spilios Spiliotopoulos

Deputy Minister: Vassilis Mihaloliakos

Deputy Minister: Ioannis Lambropoulos

Minister of Development: Dimitris Sioufas

Deputy Minister: George Salagoudis

Deputy Minister: Yiannis Papathanasiou

Minister of the Environment, Town

Planning and Public Works: George Souflias

Deputy Minister: Stavros Kaloyiannis

Deputy Minister: Themistoklis Xanthopoulos

Minister of Education and

Religious Affairs: Marietta Yiannakou

Deputy Minister: George Kalos

Deputy Minister: Spyros Taliadouros

Minister of Labour

and Social Protection: Panos Panayiotopoulos

Deputy Minister: Gerassimos Yiakoumatos

Deputy Minister: Nikos Aggelopoulos

Minister of Health

and Social Solidarity: Nikitas Kaklamanis

Deputy Minister: Athanasios Yiannopoulos

Deputy Minister: George Constantopoulos

Minister of Agricultural

Development and Foods: Savvas Tsitouridis

Deputy Minister: Evangelos Basiakos

Deputy Minister: Alexandros Kontos

Minister of Justice: Anastasios Papaligouras

Minister of Culture: Costas Karamanlis

Alternate Minister: Fani Pali-Petralia

Deputy Minister: George Orfanos

Deputy Minister: Petros Tatoulis

Minister of Transport and Communications: Michalis Liapis

Deputy Minister: Anastasios Neratzis

Minister of Public Order: George Voulgarakis

Deputy Minister: Christos Markoyiannakis

Minister of Merchant Marine: Manolis Kefaloyannis

Minister of Tourism: Dimitris Avramopoulos

Deputy Minister: Anastasios Liaskos

Minister of Macedonia-Thrace: Nikos Tsatsionis

Minister of the Aegean

and Island Policy: Aristotelis Pavlides

Minister of State in charge of

government and communications

issues and Government Spokesman: Theodoros Roussopoulos

The Press and Media ministry is being abolished and its services will be attached to the prime minister's office. New ministers Avramopoulos, Petralia and Stylianides will not be sworn in on Wednesday with the rest of the government because the necessary presidential decrees have not yet been prepared, since they occupy new government posts.

It was also announced that Stavros Dimas will be taking over as the Greek European Commissioner.

After the new government is sworn in, the new premier will go to Maximou Hall, where the prime minister's office will be formally handed over by outgoing premier Costas Simitis, after which the new Cabinet will hold its first meeting.

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