Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu stated on Thursday, in a discussion with journalists at the Victoria Palace, that he wants to organize a referendum for Rosia Montana, to see if the Romanians agree with gold mining. The statement comes in the context of the expected pronouncement of the decision by the international arbitration court on compensations or the possibility of gold exploitation on Friday, March 8. “I would say to organize a referendum for Rosia Montana. Let’s see if the Romanians agree to start gold mining”, declared Ciolacu. A decision in the case of Rosia Montana is expected on Friday, and depending on this the negotiation strategy will be formulated, announced the Minister of Finance, Marcel Bolos, who explained that “there is also the option not to pay anything, but to carry out the exploitation”. “We were informed that during the day of Friday the decision will be pronounced by the international arbitration court. We are waiting to see what this decision will be and then we will formulate our negotiation strategy and depending on what the coordinates of this negotiation strategy will be, we will go through the necessary stages to reach a consensus with the beneficiaries of that decision”, said Minister Bolos. Asked if an extraordinary appeal was still possible, the finance minister said yes, but that “it’s moving quite quickly”. “It’s possible, but it’s happening pretty quickly. Such are the customs of international arbitration courts and the prospect of changing the decision that will be pronounced on Friday, following the discussions with the lawyers, is quite small”, said Bolos. In June 2017, the Canadian company Gabriel Resources, the majority shareholder Rosia Montana Gold Corporation, summoned Romania to court at a World Bank Tribunal, where it claimed losses of billions of dollars because the Government in Bucharest decided not to approve the exploitation of the gold mine Rosia Montana. The total updated value of the compensation requested by the companies Gabriel Resources Ltd. and Gabriel Resources (Jersey) in the international arbitration case opened against Romania, related to the “Ro?ia Montana gold mining project”, amounts to approximately USD 6.7 billion.
President Nicușor Dan has nominated Senate president Ilie Bolojan, a leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL) and former interim president, for the prime minister seat. Dan said Bolojan is “the best person to carry out the needed adjustments in the state administration.” He pointed to Bolojan’s track record with reducing spending, and said he has […]
Balkanik Festival – Home of World Music, set to take place at Uranus Garden between September 5 and September 7, lines up this year artists who "celebrate that form of joy that does not ignore reality, but faces it with beauty, energy, and solidarity," the organizers said. The artists performing in September in Bucharest will […]
The mayor of Timișoara, Dominic Fritz, announced on Friday, June 20, that two new bridges over the Bega River will be built in the city. The bridges will be financed with EU-backed funds worth over RON 130 million. The bridges in question are the Solventul Bridge, which will connect Gării Street to Dâmbovița Boulevard and […]
A Sarmatian necropolis nearly 2,000 years old was discovered after archaeological excavations were carried out at the Mehala II site in the municipality of Timișoara, in western Romania. Researchers discovered 15 inhumation graves, most arranged in rectangular pits with rounded corners, although some no longer retain their original outline, having been disturbed by the passage […]
The George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra will deliver on June 26 a concert marking Romania Day at the Osaka World Expo. Additionally, the Bucharest-based orchestra will present a series of other concerts and recitals, both within the Romanian Pavilion and outside, at Toyonara Hall in Osaka. The George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra's concerts will be conducted by […]
Sphera Franchise Group, the largest food service group in Romania, has opened its first Cioccolatitaliani store in the seaside resort of Riccione, in Italy’s Rimini tourist area. This marks the official launch of Sphera Group’s development plan for the premium Italian brand of coffee, gelato, and pastry. Under the plan, it will open four locations […]
