Council of State ruling a chance to hold necessary talks with government

Gazzetta team
Council of State ruling a chance to hold necessary talks with government
Last week's Council of State (CoS) ruling, which temporarily reversed a ministerial order and allowed the resumption of gold mining activity in Halkidiki, was a chance to hold necessary talks on the issues with the government, Hellas Gold CEO Mihalis Theodorakopoulos said on Tuesday.

"We will not put the CoS on the company's board, nor a minister; you cannot have investments with MAT riot police and the CoS," Theodorakopoulos told the ANA-MPA radio station 'Praktorio 104.9'.

He also stressed that Hellas Gold did not consider itself an "opponent" to the state:

"The important thing is to sit down with the state to find a political solution, or whatever else is needed to satisfy the government, in order to continue. We don't even want to think about the contract being revoked," Theodorakopoulos stressed.

He noted that since 2012, when the company was in "full investment mode", a total of 600 million dollars had been brought in by the parent company.

Hellas Gold was willing to participate in a scientific conference to discuss all the outstanding issues involving the investment on a scientific basis, Theodorakopoulos said, noting that opponents of the project disputed scientific conclusions supporting the investment in the same way that football supporters disputed referee calls against their team.

The Hellas Gold CEO also pointed out that the environmental safety of the investment applied throughout its duration. "We have 30 years of operation ahead of us. We cannot pretend to be 'good boys' for four to five years and then make mayhem," he added.

He referred to other interests of the parent company Eldorado Gold in the region of Thrace, noting that the area's mineral wealth could become an engine for growth in northern Greece, especially.

"They call it mineral wealth, not mineral misery or a mineral curse," he quipped.