Culture Ministry requests introduction of Rosia Montana subject on CSAT meeting agenda as matter of urgency

The Ministry of Culture and National Identity asked the Presidency and the Supreme Council for National Defence (CSAT) to introduce the Rosia Montana subject on the agenda of the CSAT meeting due this June as a matter of urgency, Minister George Ivascu said in a call-in with Antena 3 TV broadcaster.

He said that although the subject is not on the CSAT meeting's agenda, he is still awaiting for an answer because at the upcoming World Heritage Committee meeting at Manama, Bahrain, he will be required to provide an "official answer and the official stance of Romania".

Ivascu denied the circulated idea according to which the government of Romania would be in favor of the exploitation of the local gold and silver deposits, as no mining activities can be carried out before the lawsuit between the Romanian state and Canada's Gold Corporation is settled.

The 'Meridian' National Trade Union Confederation cautioned early this week the Parliament of Romania, the government, the President of Romania and the public authorities competent on national security that the allegedly illegal entry of the Rosia Montana gold and silver mining site on the UNESCO World Heritage list harms Romania's economic and strategic interests and strongly made the case for the use of the site for mining activities.