Addressing a ceremony for the signing of a loan agreement worth 815 million euros with the European Investment Bank for projects in the transport and energy sectors, Finance Minister Gikas Hardouvelis underlined on Thursday that investments were the key word for Greece and that the EIB will play a significant role in these.

He made specific reference to the country’s gradual return to capital markets and noted that fiscal adjustment will be short-lived without large investment initiatives that will raise incomes and create new jobs.

In his speech, Infrastructure, Transport and Networks Minister Mihalis Chrysohoidis noted that a restart of major road projects has been achieved and that 10,000 people were working on these projects.

Environment, Energy and Climate Change Minister Yiannis Maniatis, called for EIB’s financial support to fund a series of energy projects in the country. He also underlined that Greece is closer to its goal of becoming a regional energy hub.