According to information from the inner circle of Hellas Gold, the company does not intend to abandon its investment in Greece and the region of Halkidiki.
The leadership of the Ministry of Environment and Energy and Hellas Gold, a subsidiary of Eldorado Gold, are testing their limits and their relationship is on thin ice, because of the uncertainty in regards to the future of the Canadian company’s investment in Greece, in anticipation for the final decision of the Council of State concerning the withdrawal of the technical studies for the project in Skouries.
The decision of the Council of State: It should be noted that the decision of the Council of State, which on November 2, 2015 validated the action brought by Hellas Gold, the Worker’s Centre of Halkidiki and other unions against the decision of the Minister for the Environment and Energy Panos Skourletis to revoke the technical studies for the project in Skouries and part of the Olympias project, has yet to be written up and served to interested parties, and this delay is not in favour of the development potential of the investment project of Hellas Gold.
Next week is expected to be crucial for the outcome of the case, as the CEO of Eldorado Gold, Paul Wright is going to visit Athens and, according to our sources, will seek to get clear answers about the government’s intention towards an investment of 1.5 billion Euros by Eldorado Gold in Greece, stating once again to the Greek side with the familiar style of all investors that financial agreements and investments follow specific timelines and cost conditions in order for them to be sustainable and effective.
However, according to the inner cycle of Hellas Gold, the company does not intend to abandon its investment in Greece and the region of Halkidiki. In fact, they stress that “they have suffered in 2015, but their goal is to succeed, because they have already invested 650 million Euros in this country”.
Protests: Meanwhile, yesterday, the employees of Hellas Gold in Halkidiki protested because the company Aktor fired 28 workers who worked in the Gallery in Skouries, due to lack of work. Workers point out that they are anxious about their future and troubled by the government’s delays in regards to the investment for gold in Halkidiki.
[SOURCE: NAFTEMPORIKI, 9/01/2016, by Letta Kalamara]
