On 29-30 March, a 2-day international symposium takes place in Athens with the participation of representatives from stock exchanges and financing organizations (Presidents, Vice Presidents, Managing Directors) from approximately 15 countries of Asia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Black Sea and the Mediterranean.

The issues that will be discussed are the developments in the international capital market, modern technology and organization of capital markets, as well as the development in the regulatory framework and supervision of markets.

The main speakers on the first day of the symposium will be the President of the ASE Mr Panayiotis Alexakis, the Vice President of the Capital Market Commission Mr Alexandros Vousvounis, Mrs Miranda Xafa, consultant of Salomon Smith Barney Mr Christos Megalou, Director of Credit Swiss First Boston, Europe LTD and Mr Konstantinos Syriopoulos, General Manager of HTO Health Care Organization.

On the second day, issues of the charter and organization of a Euro-Asian Institute will be discussed. The discussion will be co-ordinated by Mr Marios Nikolinakos, President of ASIA FORUM.

The objective of the Institute of Euro-Asian research and cooperation of the capital markets, is the collaboration between the capital markets of Asia on the one hand and the markets of Europe, the Mediterranean, the Balkans, Central Asia, the Black Sea and the Middle East, joint research, coordination of action, the technological collaboration and joint training on the other hand.

The institute will be based in Thessaloniki. Members of the institute will be stock exchanges, banks, financial organizations, securities companies, professional associations of the financial sector, investment companies, portfolio companies, e.t.c. The establishment of the "Euro Asian Institute of Research and Cooperation of the Capital Markets" was proposed to the "Business Forum" of the ASIA FORUM in May 2000 in Thessaloniki.