Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-09-20

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

CONTENTS

[01] Simitis inaugurates new Peloponnese university

[02] Business meeting opens in Irakleio

[03] Athens Concert Hall presents its new programme

[04] Intergovernmental forum on justice to be created

[05] MOMIX dance group to perform at Herod Atticus Theatre

[06] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

[07] Greek stocks end six-day sharp decline on Friday

[01] Simitis inaugurates new Peloponnese university

Prime Minister Costas Simitis squarely emphasised education issues in his address Friday evening in the central Peloponnese town of Tripoli during the inauguration of a new university in the region.

?Education is a national affair, and a basic component for a robust Greece within the European Union but also in a world with fewer and fewer borders,? he told an audience at the newly inaugurated 20th higher educational institution in the country.

The University of the Peloponnese will begin operation with a computer science and technology department and a telecommunications science and technology department. Some 120 students are expected to attend the schools inaugural semester. The plan, according to Simitis, is for the Tripoli-based university to open six new faculties in surrounding cities with a total of 18 academic departments, all focusing on science and new technology studies.

He also stressed that one of the reasons ?Greece in the past lagged behind? was because of a low standard of education amongst the general population, something he said bred a ?sectarian-infested economy? and a ?clientele-based democracy?.

[02] Business meeting opens in Irakleio

The 6th Business Meeting on Crete-Cyprus-Aegean-Thrace opened at the Chamber of Commerce in Irakleio on Friday night in the presence of Finance and Economy Minister Nikos Christodoulakis and Development Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos.

Also present at the meeting were the Finance and Economy Minister of Cyprus Takis Klerides, as well as the Labour and Social Insurance Minister of Cyprus Andreas Mousioutas, who supported the joint efforts of Greek and Cypriot businesses in this way.

The purpose of the meeting is to highlight sectors in which interest exists for business cooperation betweek Greek businesses or between Greek and Cypriot ones targeting markets in the Balkans, the Middle East or north African countries.

It also aims at proposing solutions to problems being faced so far by businesses in their efforts to achieve cooperation with businesses in the Balkans, Middle East or north African countries.

[03] Athens Concert Hall presents its new programme

The Athens Concert Hall as of this year is establishing free participation in its educational programme for children from the countryside who are interested in observing music seminars and broadening their knowledge of music close to important Greek and foreign teachers.

Besides, the concert hall's programme for the first three months of the 2002-3 period will begin with the first appearance in Greece of the opera of Richard Strauss ''The woman without a shadow'' (11, 14,17 and 19/10), within the framework of the Cultural Olympiad.

Included in the established series of the concert hall, such as ''Great Orchestras, Great Conductors", are the two concerts of Russian conductor Valeri Gergiev with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as the appearances of conductor and pianist Christophe Eisenbach.

The Greek music cycle will include ''The Orchestra of Colours'', Maria Farandouri and four performances jointly made by Marinella and George Dalaras.

For Christmas, the major event at the Athens Concert Hall will be the music performance ''The little prince'', based on the book of Saint-Exupery and the classical ballet ''Giselle'' with the two famous Russian dancers Diana Visneva and Vladimir Malahov.

[04] Intergovernmental forum on justice to be created

The Greek justice ministry is undertaking an initiative for the creation of an intergovernmental forum for the justice sector with the purpose of cooperation and contribution to the handling of regional problems such as organised crime and illegal immigration and the general consolidation of principles of a state of law in the Balkans.

Speaking at the opening of the 2nd Inter-Balkan Jurists Conference on ''The role of jurists in consolidating peace, friendship and cooperation among Balkan peoples'' in Kastoria, northern Greece, Justice Minister Philippos Petsalnikos said justice ministers from Balkan countries will meet on Saturday morning as part of the forum.

Petsalnikos also said the Balkan Jurists Federation, whose charter will be signed on Saturday, will be called on to constitute a place for the creation of new ideas on the role of justice and its bodies in modern-day Balkan countries.

[05] MOMIX dance group to perform at Herod Atticus Theatre

The MOMIX dance group will perform at the Herod Atticus Theatre on Sunday and Monday, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of its establishment.

The group had also performed at Herod Atticus in the past. This time, their programme will also include a dedication to the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

[06] Foreign Exchange Rates - Monday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 0.986

Pound sterling 0.638

Danish kroner 7.489

Swedish kroner 9.166

Japanese yen 121.6

Swiss franc 1.477

Norwegian kroner 7.420

Cyprus pound 0.578

Canadian dollar 1.552

Australian dollar 1.806

[07] Greek stocks end six-day sharp decline on Friday

Greek stocks ended the last trading session of an historic week with gains, reversing a six-day decline during which the market had fallen 8.84 percent in the Athens Stock Exchange.

Traders said a recovery in other European bourse helped the Greek market to a late rebound that pushed the general index 0.96 percent higher to end at 1,886.67 points.

The IT Solution, Telecommunications and Textile sectors scored the biggest percentage gains of the day (2.78 percent, 2.60 percent and 2.90 percent, respectively), while the Cement, Metals and Insurance sectors suffered the heaviest percentage losses (1.06 percent, 0.91 percent and 0.58 percent).

Turnover was a low 93.9 million euros.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks rose 0.76 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index ended 0.56 percent higher and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index jumped 1.52 percent higher.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 229 to 88 with another 43 issues unchanged.

The general index ended the week with a net loss of 4.07 percent.

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