For the first time investors are showing strong interest and Greece is appearing on the hydrocarbon producers map, Environment, Energy and Climate Change Minister Yiannis Maniatis said on Friday, as he left a meeting with President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias.

“This development is a positive augury for growth,” he added, while refusing to answer questions about the ‘small PPC’ bill and strike action called by Public Power Corporation (PPC) staff against the planned privatisation.

Maniatis said that he had briefed President Papoulias on all the latest developments concerning hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation in Greece and the results of his meetings in London, where he had carried out a presentation of the blocks up for tender in the Ionian Sea and south of Crete.

Papoulias congratulated him on his “persistent efforts and good results,” noting that he had closely followed the minister’s efforts from the start. Maniatis also praised the president’s contribution to the overall effort, saying that it would not have been carried out so efficiently and quickly without him.