[Ioannis Papanikos/InTime News
Greece can attract foreign investment with credibility, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Thursday at the opening of a new mine by Eldorado Gold and the Canadian group’s Greek subsidiary Hellas Gold in Skouries, Halkidiki, northern Greece.
Describing the project as a “vote of confidence” in the Greek economy, Mitsotakis said it reflects “a country that can attract foreign investors with credibility,” adding that Greece must maintain consistency and clear rules for investors.
He said the Skouries project could pave the way for further investments, particularly in northern Greece, which he described as having significant untapped mineral wealth. He also pointed to the government’s plans to begin natural gas extraction, noting that Greece is moving toward its first such production in 40 years.
Mitsotakis highlighted the government’s negotiations with the company, which resulted in changes to the investment plan, stricter environmental conditions and additional measures for managing mining waste. He said the project has absorbed more than $2 billion and may be the largest foreign productive investment in Greece in recent decades.
The prime minister stressed the importance of local community support, while emphasizing the project’s potential benefits for both the region and the national economy.
Mitsotakis said the mine will produce not only gold but also copper, which he described as a critical raw material for the green transition, including electric vehicles and mobile phones. Amid geopolitical uncertainty and Europe’s efforts to secure strategic supply chains, he said, producing critical raw materials domestically is essential to strengthening European industrial competitiveness. [Kathimerini/AMNA]
