Prime Minister George Papandreou hailed this week an agreement for investment in Greece’s mining sector from Qatar, following talks with visiting Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, noting that the deal was an expression of trust in the potential of the country’s debt-ridden economy.
“We have built a very strong bond of mutual respect and we are especially pleased that this bond leads to investments in our country,” Papandreou told reporters after talks with the Qatari leader.
A senior official at Greek building firm Ellaktor told Reuters on Saturday that Qatar Holdings had signed a 1.2-billion-euro deal to buy a 10 percent stake in London-based European Goldfields from Ellaktor and will invest another $600 million (448 million euros) in the mining company. The investment – which will allow the London-based firm to mine for gold in northern Greece – is expected to create 1,500 new jobs upon its completion.
Qatar played a pivotal role last month in sealing a deal in the Greek banking sector and, once the merger between Alpha Bank and Eurobank is complete, it will own about 17 percent of the new lender. The government had appeared to come close to a deal with Qatar earlier this year to develop the old Athens airport in Elliniko, south of Athens. However, the bid to sell the 170 acres of land, as part of a privatization drive aimed at raising 50 billion euros, subsequently stalled.
Source: Kathimerini