The Portuguese government signed four mining contracts with companies interested in searching for gold, wolfram and other resources in the southern European country, Economy Minister Alvaro Santos Pereira said.

Portugal expects the mining industry to remain strong in coming years and will continue to bet on the sector to stimulate growth and create jobs in the nation, Santos Pereira said today in comments broadcast by SIC Noticias television.

To contact the reporter on this story: Henrique Almeida in Lisbon at halmeida5@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jerrold Colten at jcolten@bloomberg.net