Athens News Agency: News in English, 04-03-17

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

CONTENTS

[01] Greek, Turkish and UN delegations hold talks on Annan plan

[02] NATO council approves Greek request to assist with Olympics safety

[03] Albanian demonstrators attack Greek soldiers guarding church in Kosovo

[04] Greek govt't condemns incidents in Mitrovica

[05] Government proposes new governor for National Bank of Greece

[06] Weather Forecast: Mostly sunny on Thursday

[07] Foreign Exchange Rates: Thursday

[08] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks rise in high-cap buying

[09] Souflias pleased with Helliniko Olympic site; promises better

[01] Greek, Turkish and UN delegations hold talks on Annan plan

Talks between Greek, Turkish and UN delegations on the aspect of security and the guarantees of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan for a solution to the protracted Cyprus problem were held in a ''positive and constructive climate'' in Athens on Wednesday.

A text on ''guidelines'' was released at the end of the talks for the press, on which the three delegations agreed, and which said ''following an invitation by the UN secretary general's special adviser Mr. Alvaro de Soto, a meeting was held today between delegations from Greece, Turkey and the UN during which the aspects of security and of the guarantees contained in the secretary general's plan and the future role of the UN in Cyprus were discussed.''

It further said ''the first common realisation was achieved on certain issues and all the sides agreed to continue work next week.''

[02] NATO council approves Greek request to assist with Olympics safety

BRUSSELS (ANA - V. Demiris) The NATO Council of Permanent Representatives on Wednesday unanimously approved a Greek request for NATO assistance for the safety of the Olympic Games taking place in Athens in August.

According to diplomatic sources, the request was accepted with hardly any discussion in an ''absolutely positive atmosphere''. Greece's Permanent Representative Yiannis Zeppos thanked the Council for the Alliance's solidarity and support, stressing that it would only have to assist in complementary measures, since a huge effort costing roughly 900 million euros had already been made on a national level.

[03] Albanian demonstrators attack Greek soldiers guarding church in Kosovo

Fifteen Greek soldiers guarding a church in Kosovo were attacked by 1,000 Albanian demonstrators on Wednesday evening, according to press reports.

The reports said the Albanians threw a handgrenade against the Greek soldiers, resulting in the destruction of a VBL armoured vehicle and minor burns to the face of a lieutenant.

[04] Greek govt't condemns incidents in Mitrovica

The Greek government categorically condemns the ''hideous acts of violence in Kosovo and encourages all the sides to continue efforts for the consolidation of peace and democracy''.

The statement was made on Wednesday evening by Foreign Ministry Spokesman George Koumoutsakos in reference to a clash earlier in the day between Serbs and Albanians in Mitrovica where at least seven people were reported killed. It was the worst violence in Kosovo since NATO and the United Nations took control of the region in 1999.

According to sources, the Greek contingent stationed in Mitrovica are to leave the area due to the incidents.

The Greek officers serving in Mitrovica are well and safe, the Greek Armed Forces General Staff said.

[05] Government proposes new governor for National Bank of Greece

The government on Wednesday proposed a new governor for the National Bank of Greece, a heavily traded stock on the Athens bourse, to replace the late Theodoros Karatzas.

Proposed for the position is Takis Arapoglou, general manager of Citibank in London and head of the former Ionian Bank in 1991-93, government spokesman Thodoros Roussopoulos said in a statement.

In a separate move, the government will seek the replacement of Yiannis Stournaras as chairman of state-owned Emporiki Bank following consultations with the Athens-quoted bank's minority shareholder, Credit Agricole of France, Roussopoulos said.

[06] Weather Forecast: Mostly sunny on Thursday

Mostly sunny weather is forecast in all parts of the country, with some early morning mist on the mainland. Winds northerly, light to strong, turning very strong in the southeastern Aegean. Temperatures in Athens 9C to 20C and in Thessaloniki from 6C to 18C.

[07] Foreign Exchange Rates: Thursday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.234

Pound sterling 0.681

Danish kroner 7.507

Swedish kroner 9.317

Japanese yen 133.8

Swiss franc 1.579

Norwegian kroner 8.529

Cyprus pound 0.590

Canadian dollar 1.649

Australian dollar 1.670

[08] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks rise in high-cap buying

The Athens bourse finished higher on Wednesday with players buying into high capitalisation stocks, traders said.

The general share index gained 0.62 per cent to end at 2,396.92 points. Turnover was 126.5 million euros.

The FTSE/ASE-20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks ended 0.90 per cent up; the FTSE/ASE-40 for medium capitalisation paper 0.18 per cent higher; and the FTSE/ASE-80 for small cap equities rose 0.13 per cent.

Of stocks traded, advances led declines at 152 to 138 with 67 issues remaining unchanged.

[09] Souflias pleased with Helliniko Olympic site; promises better landscaping

New Public Works Minister George Souflias toured the construction projects at the Helliniko coastal site on Wednesday, a day after he inspected Marathonas Boulevard and the much-delayed works on along the classical Marathon route in eastern Attica prefecture.

The Helliniko site, built on a portion of the former Athens airport, will host the venues for baseball, softball, field hockey, the basketball preliminaries, handball finals, fencing and the canoe/kayak slalom.

In statements to the press, Souflias, a civil engineer by training, promised additional outlays for landscaping work at the sites, as well as better coordination by the entities that surround or own tracts of Helliniko, such as neighbouring municipalities, the Hellenic Air Force, the company building Athens new tram network etc.

Souflias said contractors promised completion dates by the end of May or early June for facilities still under construction. He also said a distinct problem lies with the lack of landscaping and green spaces in and around the site.

Asked about a reaction from his predecessor at the ministry, main opposition PASOK deputy Vasso Papandreou, following the formers high-profile comments about problems plaguing the seminal Marathon route.

?I call things the way I see them. Wherever there are works that are advanced I say they are advanced, as is the case here, at Helliniko; wherever there are delays, like on the Marathon route, I say there are delays ... I am not going to concern myself with the past, Im interested in the future,? Souflias said in reply to the reaction by Papandreou.

?There are delays with the Marathon route. Thats the truth. I will not conceal the truth. That is what Ms. Papandreou did with her impertinent statements,? he added.

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