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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs: the Rosia Montana file was ‘illegally’ lodged with UNESCO
The minister of foreign affairs Teodor Melescanu stated on Saturday in Mamaia that the Rosia Montana file was ‘illegally’ lodged with UNESCO, saying that there are procedure irregularities connected to the fact that it was not approved by premier Ciolos orthe government but it was sent by a minister.
‘I would like to bring to your attention the fact that the file was lodged illegally as we know. So, it was not approved by premier Ciolos or by the government of Romania but it was sent by one of the ministers. So, from the point of view there are some irregularities in the procedure’ Melescanu said.
He showed that Romania has a ‘big issue’ at this moment due to the court case we are facing.
‘I know that for the moment we have a big issue due to the fact that the Romanian state is sued by the company which owns the shares with Rosia Montana and that they require damage of an important sum’ Melescanu said.
Asked if they can withdraw the file from UNESCO Melescanu said’ we have to see what is protected in the Rosia Montana area. In that area the people live out of mining. We have to combine a policy of keeping the heritage without exaggeration and at the same time to have the right to exploit the resources. We have to find a solution that Romania does not pay damages’.
Melescanu said that the Rosia Montana issue could be discussed in the meeting of the governing coalition which comes together at the weekend in Mamaia.
Premier Mihai Tudose stated on Tuesday night on Romania TV that there is the possibility that Romania does not exploit the mineral resources in the Rosia Montana area if UNESCO finalises the procedure to call the area as protected natural area, procedure initiated by the Ciolos government.
‘You may ask Mr.Ciolos why in January, before leaving he declared the whole area protected natural area and sent the papers to UNESCO or somewhere. Namely you cannot dig for a worn as it is a protected area. Why he did it, I don’t know’ Tudose said.
According to the premier, the annulment with UNESCO of the procedure initiated by the Ciolos government is difficult. ‘ It is difficult to be accepted, but if they have accepted you it is almost impossible to withdraw’, Tudose explained.
‘We will try to withdraw it, to write that we do not keep our point of view, as we are in strange situation with the international bodies. If the things stay like this, it is finished. There are our resources. He could declare it protected here at home, and we could protect it and deprotect it – we could say that there is the last species of dragonfly and then to say that the dragonfly is no longer present and had no inheriters. I don’t believe in coincidencies’ Mihai Tudose said.
As an answer, senator USR (opposition Save Romania Union) Vlad Alexandrescu stated on Wednesday that the association by premier Mihai Tudose of the UNESCO classification with the impossibility of exploitation in Rosia Montana is a lie, saying that the premier should be called ‘ the dragonfly premier’ due to his statements.
He said that Rosia Montana was integrated on the list of historical monuments A category starting with December 2015 and later the file was included on the UNESCO list, the file being lodged by Corina Suteu in the Ciolos government.