{"id":2383,"date":"2026-02-16T16:03:57","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T14:03:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/thrace-development-a-strategic-priority\/"},"modified":"2026-02-16T16:45:34","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T14:45:34","slug":"thrace-development-a-strategic-priority","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/en\/thrace-development-a-strategic-priority\/","title":{"rendered":"Thrace Development: a Strategic Priority"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>With a vision to help build a sustainable and resilient economy in Northern Greece, Leonidas Bakouras, General Manager of Thracean Mining, \u00a0subsidiary of Eldorado Gold, took part in the 9th Thessaloniki Development Conference, organized by the Hellenic Institute for Research and Development (ELINEKA). Among the conference\u2019s keynote speakers were Deputy Minister of Transport Konstantinos Kyranakis, Deputy Minister of Development Stavros Kalafatis, Deputy Minister of Labour Anna Efthymiou, Regional Governor of Central Macedonia Athina Aidona, and Thessaloniki Mayor Stelios Angeloudis.<\/p>\n<p>In his address, Mr. Bakouras outlined the significant benefits of the planned mining investment in Perama, Thrace, valued at more than $430 million. He emphasized that the project is designed in line with the strictest international environmental standards and modern mining best practices, while addressing the region\u2019s real economic needs. The investment is expected to help stabilize local population decline, tackle unemployment, and strengthen Thrace\u2019s limited industrial base.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-2383 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-medium'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/\u03a3\u03c7\u03bf\u03b9\u03bd\u03ac\u03c2.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/\u03a3\u03c7\u03bf\u03b9\u03bd\u03ac\u03c2-300x200.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/\u03a3\u03c7\u03bf\u03b9\u03bd\u03ac\u03c2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/\u03a3\u03c7\u03bf\u03b9\u03bd\u03ac\u03c2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/\u03a3\u03c7\u03bf\u03b9\u03bd\u03ac\u03c2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/\u03a3\u03c7\u03bf\u03b9\u03bd\u03ac\u03c2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/\u03a3\u03c7\u03bf\u03b9\u03bd\u03ac\u03c2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/\u0395\u03c5\u03b8\u03c5\u03bc\u03af\u03bf\u03c5_edit.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"210\" src=\"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/\u0395\u03c5\u03b8\u03c5\u03bc\u03af\u03bf\u03c5_edit-300x210.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/\u0395\u03c5\u03b8\u03c5\u03bc\u03af\u03bf\u03c5_edit-300x210.jpg 300w, https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/\u0395\u03c5\u03b8\u03c5\u03bc\u03af\u03bf\u03c5_edit-768x537.jpg 768w, https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/\u0395\u03c5\u03b8\u03c5\u03bc\u03af\u03bf\u03c5_edit.jpg 811w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/edit_1.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"190\" src=\"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/edit_1-300x190.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/edit_1-300x190.jpg 300w, https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/edit_1-1024x649.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/edit_1-768x487.jpg 768w, https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/edit_1-1536x974.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/edit_1.jpg 1776w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>He stressed that the project is being planned under a framework of clear rules, strong institutional and social oversight, and full respect for the environment. It is also expected to enhance the region\u2019s geopolitical importance by positioning Thrace as a European hub for critical raw materials.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Bakouras described the public consultation of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as a top priority, ensuring that institutions and citizens have the time and access to reliable scientific information needed to form an informed view. \u201cTrust is built on facts, and transparency for us is non-negotiable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-2383 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-medium'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/\u03bf\u03bc\u03b9\u03bb\u03b7\u03c4\u03ad\u03c2.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"240\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/\u03bf\u03bc\u03b9\u03bb\u03b7\u03c4\u03ad\u03c2-240x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/\u03bf\u03bc\u03b9\u03bb\u03b7\u03c4\u03ad\u03c2-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/\u03bf\u03bc\u03b9\u03bb\u03b7\u03c4\u03ad\u03c2-820x1024.jpg 820w, https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/\u03bf\u03bc\u03b9\u03bb\u03b7\u03c4\u03ad\u03c2-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/\u03bf\u03bc\u03b9\u03bb\u03b7\u03c4\u03ad\u03c2-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/\u03bf\u03bc\u03b9\u03bb\u03b7\u03c4\u03ad\u03c2-1537x1920.jpg 1537w, https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/\u03bf\u03bc\u03b9\u03bb\u03b7\u03c4\u03ad\u03c2.jpg 1639w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/edit_gd_giota.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"285\" src=\"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/edit_gd_giota-300x285.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/edit_gd_giota-300x285.jpg 300w, https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/edit_gd_giota-768x730.jpg 768w, https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/edit_gd_giota.jpg 931w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/bakouras_edit.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"296\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/bakouras_edit-296x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/bakouras_edit-296x300.jpg 296w, https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/bakouras_edit-1011x1024.jpg 1011w, https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/bakouras_edit-768x778.jpg 768w, https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/bakouras_edit.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 296px) 100vw, 296px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>Referring to the EIA \u2014 prepared primarily by leading Greek universities \u2014 Mr. Bakouras concluded: \u201cWe want the study to be carefully reviewed, evaluated, and openly discussed on the basis of scientific evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With a vision to help build a sustainable and resilient economy in Northern Greece, Leonidas Bakouras, General Manager of Thracean Mining, \u00a0subsidiary of Eldorado Gold, took part in the 9th Thessaloniki Development Conference, organized by the Hellenic Institute for Research and Development (ELINEKA). Among the conference\u2019s keynote speakers were Deputy Minister of Transport Konstantinos Kyranakis, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2378,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2383","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2383"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2383\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2384,"href":"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2383\/revisions\/2384"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metalleiathrakis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}