Greece's Skouries gold mine inaugurated after protests

Canada's Eldorado Gold inaugurated the Skouries gold and copper mine in northern Greece on Thursday, saying commercial production would begin by the end of the year.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis attended the ceremony and described the project as one of the largest foreign productive investments in Greece in recent decades.

Eldorado said the mine would create around 3,000 jobs and help meet rising global demand for copper, a metal used in the energy transition. The company has invested around $2 billion in Skouries and expects the mine to operate for about 20 years.

Dozens of protesters gathered not far from the mine during the inauguration. Opposition to the project has continued since the 1990s over environmental concerns. Police blocked protesters from approaching the site.