Athens News Agency: News in English, 04-03-23

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

CONTENTS

[01] Weather Forecast: Scattered cloud, showers on Tuesday

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates: Tuesday

[03] Parliament ratifies government's policy statements

[04] Molyviatis condemns assassination of Hamas founder

[05] Lighting of the Olympic Flame - March 25

[06] President Stephanopoulos gives Botsis journalism awards

[07] President Stephanopoulos to pay state visit to Moldova

[01] Weather Forecast: Scattered cloud, showers on Tuesday

Scattered showers are forecast in all parts of the country, with showers in the west and Macedonia. Storms are expected in the northwest from evening. Winds southerly, strong to very strong. Temperatures in Athens 12C to 22C and in Thessaloniki from 9C to 20C.

[02] Foreign Exchange Rates: Tuesday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.245

Pound sterling 0.674

Danish kroner 7.506

Swedish kroner 9.292

Japanese yen 133.2

Swiss franc 1.569

Norwegian kroner 8.496

Cyprus pound 0.590

Canadian dollar 1.653

Australian dollar 1.656

[03] Parliament ratifies government's policy statements

Parliament ratified the government's policy statements during a rollcall vote held in the early hours on Tuesday, at the end of a three-day debate, with 165 votes in favour and 135 against. The 165 deputies of the ruling New Democracy party voted for while the 117 deputies from the main opposition PASOK party, the 12 from the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and the six from the Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology voted against.

In a speech just before the vote, Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis said that ''Greece has already entereed a new era and the Greek people are much more mature.''

[04] Molyviatis condemns assassination of Hamas founder

''Greece, along with all EU member-states, condemns the extra-judicial execution of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin - the same way it condemns in principle any illegal act of violence that goes against international law and the rule of law,'' Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis said on Monday, commenting on Yassin's assassination.

Molyviatis also added that this development certainly does not contribute to the peace-making process in the Middle East.

''We recognize Israel's right to protect its citizens from terrorist acts, but not by using similar methods,'' he explained. He asked both sides to refrain from acts of violence which undermine peace-making efforts.

[05] Lighting of the Olympic Flame - March 25

The lighting of the Olympic Flame will take place in Ancient Olympia at 12 o'clock noon on March 25 - Greece's independence day - in the presence of the President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos.

Choreographer Maria Horst will once again lead the priestesses, while Thalia Prokopiou will serve as High Priestess for the second time. Greek Olympic javelin champion Kostas Gatsioudis will be the first torchbearer passing the flame on to Russian Olympic swimming champion Alexander Popov.

The Russian swimmer is one of eight guests the Hellenic Olympic Committee has invited, who will participate in the Torch Relay as an IOC member and Olympic Medallist.

[06] President Stephanopoulos gives Botsis journalism awards

President Kostis Stephanopoulos gave the journalism awards of the A. B. Botsis foundation during a ceremony held on Monday in the presence of politicians and representatives of the Church, literature and the economic world.

The journalists who received awards are the following:

Dimitris Tsalapatis for his 36-year contribution to all sectors of journalism.

George Vlavianos for his successful coverage of all the wars in the Middle East over the past decade and for his footage from northern Iraq, where he was the permanent correspondent of a Greek television channel.

Pavlos Neratzis for his research at EPA, MIXER, on Greek and international news and overseas Hellenism.

Ilias Georgakis for the accuracy of his reports related to social security and labour rights.

Dimitris Petrovic for the promotion of issues concerning Thrace and his contribution to the upgrading of the country's border regions.

Parliament President Anna Psarouda-Benaki also gave an award for Parliamentary coverage to Eirini Antoniou.

[07] President Stephanopoulos to pay state visit to Moldova

President of the Republic Costis Stephanopoulos will pay a two-day state visit to Moldova next week, it was announced Monday.

Stephanopoulos will be on an official visit to Moldova on March 29-30 at the invitation of Moldovan president Vladimir Voronin.

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