Financial Results - 1st Quarter 2000

PRESS RELEASE

In the first quarter of 2000, SARANTIS Group consolidated balance sheet presents 28% increase in sales and +12% in profits.

More specifically, the consolidated sales reached 10,8 billion Drs. compared to 8,5 billion Drs. in last year’s respective period, while profits before tax were 1,2 billion Drs. compared to 1,08 billion Drs. in 1999.

On a net operating results level -having excluded financial revenues/expenses and extraordinary results- SARANTIS Group presents a profits’ increase of 44% in the first quarter of 2000 compared to the respective quarter of 1999.

The positive course of SARANTIS in the first quarter is mainly attributed to the positive course of the Group’s export sales in the Western and Eastern European markets and to the impressive pharmaceuticals sales in Greece. What is worth mentioning is that the results of the first quarter do not include sales generated from K.P. MARINOPOULOS, since the acquisition of 49% of the company’s by Sarantis is still under approval from the Competition Committee.

On an annual basis, SARANTIS Group is expected to reach consolidated sales of 68 billion Drs., while its profits before tax are expected to exceed 7 billion Drs.