Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-12-21
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Athens, Greece, 21/12/1998 (ANA)
MAIN HEADLINES
- Gov't denies changes to state sell-off programme
- Deutsche Bank buys 10 percent stake in Eurobank
- Skopje name talks still under way
- Three hospitalised after eating poisonous mushrooms
- Search and rescue effort under way for two missing
- New head of ethnic Greek party in Albania
- Russian underworld seek refuge in Greece - reports
- Composer Theodorakis honorary citizen of Patras
- U.S., Greek sporting ties examined
- Greek equities end up over 2,500 pts
- Weather
- Foreign Exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
Gov't denies changes to state sell-off programme
The government said on Monday that its programme of structural changes
comprised 22 specific actions which did not include plans to privatise the
Commercial Bank. Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said efforts were
continuing to find a strategic investor to facilitate the development of
the national carrier Olympic Airways. Reppas was replying to reporters'
questions on an article in Sunday's edition of the weekly newspaper "To
Vima" which said the government had submitted a structural reform programme
to the European Union.
Deutsche Bank buys 10 percent stake in Eurobank
Deutsche Bank, one of the world's largest financial institutions, and EFG
Eurobank, part of the EFG Bank Group, announced today the commencement of
their cooperation. Deutsche Bank enters the Greek market by establishing a
strategic partnership with the EFG Eurobank Group in Greece. EFG is the
second largest private sector banking group, with total assets of DM 10
billion (1.7 trillion drachmas). As part of the deal, Deutsche Bank
purchased a 10 percent stake in EFG Eurobank from the majority shareholder
Consolidated Eurofinance Holdings SA Luxembourg, which now retains an 81
percent stake in Eurobank.
Skopje name talks still under way
Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said on Monday that the solution to
the problem of the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's name
was being sought within the framework of negotiations being conducted under
UN auspices. He was responding to reporters' questions regarding statements
in Parliament on Monday by a ruling party MP that the government was ready
to accept the name "Republic of Macedonia-Skopje". Athens and Skopje have
been at loggerheads over the country's name since the republic declared
independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.
Three hospitalised after eating poisonous mushrooms
Three elderly men from the community of Kavousi in the prefecture of
Lasithi, Crete are in critical condition in the intensive care unit of
Heraklion University Hospital after eating poisonous mushrooms. The three
were initially admitted to Ierapetra hospital on Sunday night suffering
convulsions. They later fell into a coma. According to relatives, the
mushrooms had been bought from a shop in Heraklion.
Search and rescue effort under way for two missing
EMAK special rescue units and teams of firemen and policemen at dawn
launched a massive search for two mountain climbers missing on Mt. Parnes,
police said today. The two 25-year-old Greek men, who frequently scaled Mt.
Parnes, set off early Sunday morning for another trek on the western side
of the mountain but have not been heard of since. Relatives of the two men
informed the local police precinct, which mobilised the fire department and
the EMAK, teams from which were scouring the area with trained dogs.
New head of ethnic Greek party in Albania
The ethnic Greek organisation "Omonia" in Albania has elected 32-year-old
Vangelis Dules as its new president, an ANA report from Gjirokaster said.
Dules, from Gjirokaster's Kalogorantzi village, holds a degree in English
literature and was a leading member of the December 1990 students' movement
that led to the toppling of the Alia regime. Dules, a close associate of
Orthodox Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana and All Albania, was elected to
the Albanian parliament in 1996 with the Human Rights Union party. He was
elected in a marathon voting session Sunday that capped the two-day, fourth
Omonia general conference in Sarande.
Russian underworld seek refuge in Greece - reports
A number of Russian criminals had sought refuge in Greece as a result of
the ease in obtaining forged Greek citizenship documents, an ANA dispatch
from Moscow said, quoting the Russian daily "Izvestia". Russian general
prosecutor Yuri Skuratov, who recently visited Greece and held talks with
the president of the Greek Supreme Court, presented a draft cooperation
agreement between the prosecution authorities of the two countries which he
hopes will be signed soon, the newspaper said. The draft, it added,
provides inter alia for joint action with the Greek prosecution authority,
the operation of a joint Greek-Russian judicial team and exchanges of
information on each other's legislation.
Composer Theodorakis honorary citizen of Patras
Internationally renowned Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis will be declared
an honorary citizen of Patras by the central port city's new municipal
authorities. The honour was announced Sunday night during a concert by the
Patras amateur Municipal String Orchestra in the city's municipal theatre,
attended by Theodorakis. The concert was also attended by Athens mayor
Dimitris Avramopoulos and outgoing and new Patras mayors Andreas Karavolas
and Evangelos Floratos respectively.
U.S., Greek sporting ties examined
Sports Undersecretary Andreas Fouras and US Ambassador Nicholas Burns on
Monday had talks on bilateral sports cooperation and the further strengthening
of sports ties between the two countries. It was agreed that a bilateral
sports cooperation protocol be signed in January 1999 at a special ceremony
to be held at the new offices of the Olympic Games Committee. One of the
issues discussed at today's meeting was the promotion of baseball in
Greece. Burns assured the president of the Greek baseball federation, Panos
Mitsiopoulos, that he would personally do everything possible to help make
the sport more popular in Greece.
Greek equities end up over 2,500 pts
Greek equities moved higher on Monday pushing the general index above the 2,
500 level for the first time in the last six sessions on the Athens Stock
Exchange. The index ended 1.11 percent up to 2,526.48 points in heavy
turnover of 55.4 billion drachmas. Volume was 11,800,000 shares. Sector
indices were mixed. Banks rose 2.51 percent, Leasing fell 0.03 percent,
Insurance increased 0.35 percent, Investment ended 1.09 percent up,
Construction rose 2.31 percent, Industrials dropped 0.43 percent,
Miscellaneous fell 0.28 percent and Holding eased 0.20 percent. The
parallel market index for small cap companies ended 0.39 percent up.
Broadly, advancers led decliners by 153 to 94 with another 25 issues
unchanged.
WEATHER
Fine weather in most parts of Greece today but cloud and rain are expected
later in the day. In the north, temperatures will range from 2-11C, in the
Ionian and mainland 4-14C and in the Aegean 7-17C. Athens will be sunny
with scattered cloud and the likelihood of rain in the afternoon.
Temperatures will range from 5-14C. Same in Thessaloniki with temperatures
from 2-10C.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Monday's rates (buying) U.S. dollar 276.312
British pound 464.911 Japanese yen (100) 239.965
French franc 49.652 German mark 166.557
Italian lira (100) 16.813 Irish Punt 413.565
Belgian franc 8.073 Finnish mark 54.808
Dutch guilder 147.763 Danish kr. 43.813
Austrian sch. 23.674 Spanish peseta 1.957
Swedish kr. 34.502 Norwegian kr. 35.910
Swiss franc 205.379 Port. Escudo 1.624
Aus. dollar 171.909 Can. dollar 179.155
(M.P.)
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