07/27/2021 2:13 PM
Clarín.com
Dresses
Updated 07/27/2021 2:13 PM
Unesco today declared
the ancient Roman mine of Rosia Montana, in Romania
, a World Heritage Site, a decision that closes the door to the exploitation of the tons of precious minerals that make the subsoil of the area
the largest gold reserve in Europe .
"I celebrate the inclusion of the mining cultural landscape of Rosia Montana in the world heritage," wrote on
the president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, shortly after the decision of the Unesco World Heritage Committee, which celebrates its forty-fourth meeting in China.
Iohannis added that "Rosia Montana must become a model when it comes to valuing the heritage through the sustainable development of the area."
The town of Rosia Montana (AFP).
The inclusion of this archaeological site in the World Heritage of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) has been applauded by
environmental organizations such
as
Greenpeace
, who see in this decision a safeguard against new attempts to exploit the precious mineral reserves in the area.
It cannot be exploited
Pressure from civil society and environmentalists forced in 2013 to scrap a project by the Canadian mining company Gabriel Resources to extract, through the use of cyanide to separate the metals from the stone,
hundreds of tons of gold and silver.
The company reported the Romanian Government to the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) of the World Bank.
The mine has the largest gold reserve in Europe.
In the process, which is pending resolution, the company demands from Romania a compensation of
5.7 billion dollars
for the breaking of the exploitation contract.
But the declaration of Rosia Montana as a World Heritage Site has not pleased everyone.
It is from the 2nd century and was built by the Romans
The mayor of the town, Eugen Furdui, assured local media that the decision "does not represent a benefit for the community or for the country."
"Let's not forget that it blocks, in the short and long term,
the largest gold and silver reserves in Europe," he
added.
The mine was built by the Romans in the 2nd century.
Romania first requested the declaration of Rosia Montana as a World Heritage Site in 2017, but the government itself withdrew the request a year later.
The current Romanian Executive asked again in 2020 for Unesco protection for this unique archaeological site.
The galleries of the Roman mine stretch for several kilometers and
were built in the 2nd century.
EFE Agency.
GML
