Athens News Agency: News in English, 01-07-23

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

CONTENTS

[01] ND leader inaugurates exhibition commemorating press after fall of

[02] Swiss IOC member appointed president of the 2004 Coordinating Committee

[03] Greece has among lowest factory car prices in EU

[04] Greek citizens' struggles for democracy have been vindicated, premier

[05] Latsis, RWE Power launch electricity alliance

[06] Foreign Exchange Rates: Tuesday

[07] Bond Market Close: Bond prices nose down in moderate trade

[08] Alpha Bank, BNP Paribas mulling alliance

[09] Weather Forecast: Mostly sunny on Tuesday

[10] Athens Bourse: Closing Prices

[11] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks rise in scant trade

[12] Reppas: Greek-Italian ties not affected by Genoa incidents

[13] Italian authorities deny access to Greeks arrested in Genoa

[01] ND leader inaugurates exhibition commemorating press after fall of junta

Main opposition New Democracy party leader Costas Karamanlis on Monday inaugurated an exhibition of press clippings concerning the first three days following the restoration of democracy in Greece in July 1974, following a seven-year military dictatorship.

The exhibition, held at the Zappeion Hall and organised by the "Constantine Karamanlis Institute of Democracy? and ND's cultural issues committee, is being held on the occasion of the 27th anniversary of the restoration of democracy in Greece.

In his brief address, Karamanlis said that the press projects ?the situation, and the political and social morals of every season.?

He said that there is rarely a consensus on the front pages of newspapers underlining, nonetheless, that the newspaper clippings published after the fall of the junta were a rare exception.

The inauguration exhibition was followed by a concert by well-known composers and conductors Mikis Theodorakis and Stavros Xarhakos, while at an awards ceremony Karamanlis later awarded honorary plaques to both men.

[02] Swiss IOC member appointed president of the 2004 Coordinating Committee

International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge on Monday appointed Dennis Oswald, a Swiss IOC member, as President of the IOC's Coordinating Committee for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

Oswald is also president of the Summer Olympic Games International Federations Union, president of the International Rowing Federation and a Coordinating Committee member,

Oswald will undertake the task of monitoring preparations being made by Athens to host the 2004 Olympic Games, following Rogge's assumption of the IOC presidency.

In another development, it was announced on Monday that the next meeting between the Coordinating Committee and the Athens 2004 Organising Committee will be held on September 26-28.

[03] Greece has among lowest factory car prices in EU

BRUSSELS (ANA/M.Spinthourakis) - Greece is one of the European Union's 15 members with the lowest factory prices for cars, along with Finland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark, according to a report by the EU's executive Commission.

The report released on Monday said that in Greece, Finland and Denmark, the low factory prices were due to high taxation, with car manufacturers pitching prices low in order to keep the final price after tax accessible to the public.

[04] Greek citizens' struggles for democracy have been vindicated, premier says

The struggles of all Greeks for democracy have been vindicated for the most part, Prime Minister Costas Simitis said on Monday, in his message for the 27th anniversary since the restoration of democracy in Greece.

"Much needs to be done. We will continue. This common course should not be cut short. The struggle for democracy never ends. Every citizen of this country ... helped in the healing process of the national, social, cultural and moral problems that were piled up during a long and painful period of the political history of our country," Simitis said.

He called on Greek citizens to continue on with new ideas "so as to continue on the course as a country, as a society, as citizens through the 21st century," he said, predicting that this course will not be an easy one.

"A course within a totally different political, social and economic landscape than the one we knew in 1974. A new exciting course, but at the same time one of challenge and difficulties," Simitis noted.

Simitis also stressed that the "democratic institutions are now solid and considered an accomplished aim. The new goal is the continual deepening and widening of social justice, as well as the strengthening of social cohesion".

"The confrontation of current challenges can not be effective with a fixation with the past nor with the traditional ideological forms. The new era is in need of a quest of a new political culture ... the future can not be conquered with old recipes, nor can it be conquered with backtracking," he said, adding that the "future can not be secured with stereotypes and inflexibilities of the past, phobias and doctrinal ideas".

The Greek premier also focused on the Cyprus problem, calling it an open wound "27 years after that tragic summer of the betrayal of Cyprus and the barbaric invasion of the island".

"We can not but stress this problem, which continues to be our first national priority. The island is still divided in two. The efforts of all these years to resolve the problem of Cyprus, in the framework of the United Nations, did not bear fruit," he said.

"The maintenance of the status quo offends the international community, it offends hellenism, it offends every notion of modern civilized society. We will continue the effort until the final vindication. This a struggle of all Greeks, as well as of all civilized humanity," Simitis noted.

[05] Latsis, RWE Power launch electricity alliance

The Latsis Group and RWE Power of Germany announced on Monday that they had signed a deal that marked the beginning of an alliance in the production of electricity.

The two groups will operate in the newly liberated Greek market, with an option to expand into Balkan countries, they said in a statement.

In addition, talks are under way for an alliance in the transmission of electricity. The two firms would submit an application to the Greek Energy Regulatory Authority for a licence to supply electricity, the statement said.

RWE Power is one of the largest electricity producers in Europe, which also owns a stake in German engineering contractor Hochtief, builder of the new Athens international airport at Spata, it added.

[06] Foreign Exchange Rates: Tuesday

Indicative buying rates for Tuesday

U.S. dollar 389.606

German mark 172.829

French franc 051.531

Pound sterling 554.407

Irish punt 429.202

Belgian franc 008.379

Luxembourg franc 008.379

Dutch guilder 153.389

Italian lira (100) 017.457

Austrian schilling 024.565

Danish kroner 45.389

Swedish kroner 36.383

Finnish mark 056.852

Spanish peseta 002.032

Portuguese escudo 001.686

Japanese yen (100) 314.084

Swiss franc 224.532

Norwegian kroner 042.324

Cyprus pound 588.941

Canadian dollar 252.257

Australian dollar 197.639

[07] Bond Market Close: Bond prices nose down in moderate trade

Bond prices in the domestic secondary market on Monday finished lower in light to moderate trade.

The Greek benchmark 10-year bond showed a yield of 5.46 percent, and the yield spread over German bunds was 49 basis points.

Turnover through the central bank's electronic system totalled 595 million euros (202.7 billion drachmas).

Sell orders accounted for the bulk of turnover.

[08] Alpha Bank, BNP Paribas mulling alliance

Alpha Bank on Monday informed the Athens Stock Exchange that it had no new comment to make on talks it is holding with BNP Paribas of France over a possible alliance, referring the bourse to a letter sent on the previous trading day.

Blue chip Alpha had previously said that it was holding negotiations BNP on a possible alliance linked to the introduction of the euro as a single currency on January 1, 2002, when competition would be tougher in the banking sector.

On Friday, the Athens bourse had dropped sharply in a slump partly fuelled by conflicting talk of a rumoured takeover of Alpha by BNP. The French bank's president told the market authorities that the rumour was untrue.

[09] Weather Forecast: Mostly sunny on Tuesday

Sunny weather is forecast throughout the country on Tuesday, later clouding over on the northern mainland with isolated storms likely on high ground. Winds northwesterly, light to moderate. On the mainland, temperatures will range from 19C to 35C; and in the islands from 22C to 31C. Hot and sunny in Athens with temperatures between 23C and 34C. Same in Thessaloniki, with temperatures from 22C to 33C.

[10] Athens Bourse: Closing Prices

The most heavily traded stocks were Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation, National Bank of Greece, Alpha Bank, Fitco and Coca Cola.

Sector indices ended as follows:

Banks: +3.91%

Telecoms: +2.36%

Insurance: +0.53%

Investment: +3.74%

Construction: +3.22%

Industrials: +3.57%

Holding: +4.87%

Base metals: +2.70%

Minerals: +5.27%

Publishing: +2.28%

Textiles: +2.44%

Retailing: +0.94%

IT: +5.80%

IT solutions: +3.42%

Wholesale: +3.12%

Food & Beverage: +3.07%

Parallel Market for smaller cap stocks: +2.45%

Selected shares from the Morgan Stanley index closed as follows:

Aluminium de Grece: 31.16

Alpha Bank: 23.74

Coca Cola HBC: 15.30

Hellenic Petroleum: 6.42

Commercial Bank of Greece: 36.42

National Bank of Greece: 30.40

EFG Eurobank Ergasias: 14.50

Interamerican: 20.04

Intracom: 14.28

Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation: 15.86

Panafon-Vodafone: 5.76

Titan Cement Co: 36.10

[11] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks rise in scant trade

Buyers made a tentative return to the Athens bourse in slim turnover on Monday despite a sharp dip in the previous session, driving up the general index in trade focusing on high-cap stocks, including blue chip banks.

The general share index gained 3.38 percent to end at 2,592.0 points, with turnover at 110 million euros (37.5 billion drachmas).

Equities had dropped sharply on Friday in the wake of three rises that followed a plunge at the start of the previous week. Jolting the market was conflicting talk about the rumoured acquisition by BNP Paribas of a stake in Alpha Bank, which BNP denied.

The FTSE/ASE-20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks ended 3.86 percent higher; the FTSE/ASE-40 for medium capitalisation paper 2.77 percent up; and the FTSE/ASE-80 for small cap equities gained 2.58 percent.

Of 363 stocks traded, advancers led decliners at 304 to 37 with 22 issues remaining unchanged.

A week ago on Monday the bourse had shed nearly five percent as part of a lasting slump after buyers resolutely stayed out of the market with small capitalisation shares the worst hit.

[12] Reppas: Greek-Italian ties not affected by Genoa incidents

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas expressed regret on Monday over the way Italian authorities had chosen to deal with the protests at the G8 summit in Genoa, but said that Greek-Italian relations would not be affected by the arrest of two Greek demonstrators in the city or the rough treatment of other Greek activists at the hands of Italian police.

"The Genoa Summit is a good lesson all round," Reppas told reporters, while adding that civilisation was not compatible with unemployment, poverty and misery in large sections of the planet's population.

[13] Italian authorities deny access to Greeks arrested in Genoa

ROME (ANA - L. Hatzikyriakos) One of the two Greek demonstrators arrested by Italian police in Genoa over the weekend, Panagiotis Sideriadis, was being held under guard in a local hospital on Monday while he recovered from an operation for peritonitis carried out the previous day.

Meanwhile, the other Greek national arrested while taking part in protests during the G8 summit in the city, Peroulis Sakellaridis who was arrested on Friday, was being held in a prison in Pavia on a charge of "inciting physical violence".

According to ANA sources, Greek consular authorities in Italy have asked to be allowed to visit the two prisoners but have so far been denied access.

Italian authorities have also refused to allow all contact between the two prisoners and their families or Greek consular authorities until they testify before a magistrate.

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