PM Orban: Rosia Montana file - a serious one; I believe we have every chance to receive a favourable decision

Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said on Friday that the file regarding the inclusion of the Rosia Montană site with UNESCO's World Heritage list is a "serious one", pointing out that there is every chance of a favourable decision in this regard.

"As far as I know, there will be a session in June [of UNESCO - editor's note]. Let's see if it will be on the agenda. The file, in my opinion, is a serious file and I think we have every chance to have a receive favourable decision. According to my knowledge, the Roman mines at the Rosia Montana site are unique in the world," Orban told the Parliament, before attending the meeting for the election of the coordinating committee of the PNL (National Liberal Party) organisation of district 1 of the Capital City.

He pointed out that on Friday the Minister of Culture submitted the request to resume the procedure to register the Rosia Montana site with the UNESCO.

The Prime Minister also added that the inclusion of the Rosia Montana site with the UNESCO World Heritage list does not affect the "legal situation" of the site.

"What will happen at ICSID depends on what happened in the relations between the company [Gabriel Resources - editor's note] and the Romanian state, Government, ministries, until the moment when the company sued the Romanian state," said Orban.