Bucharest/ Romania; 11. November 2003 – Roughly sixty people participated yesterday morning in a colorful action in front of Bucharest’s Canadian Embassy. Its aim was to welcome Canada’s new Ambassador to Romania and to highlight some of the endemic risks inherent to Gabriel Resources’ (Gabriel) Rosia Montana gold mining project. The partakers also wished to hear an official position on Gabriels’ project from the Canadian government. The manifestation was organized by the ’21 December 1989’ Association and was joined by ‘Greenpeace CEE’ volunteers and ‘Alburnus Maior’. The event launched a day of action for Rosia Montana at Canadian Embassies in various capitals such as Budapest, Amsterdam, Prague and Vienna.

Rosia Montana Gold Corporation (RMGC) which is 80% owned by Canadian-based Gabriel Resources (TSX:GBU) intends to realize Europe’s largest open cast gold mining project in Rosia Montana; entailing amongst other, the involuntary resettlement of over 2000 people. From its onset the development has been beleaguered with scandals and operational problems, including local, national and international opposition by both civil society and expert institutions.

Yesterday’s peaceful action started at 10am, when under tight security, participants unfolded their banners. Many had painted their faces; one half golden and the other depicting a skeleton. The banners depicted messages such as ‘Yes to Nature – no to cyanide’, ‘We wish to milk cows, not mountains’, ‘RMGC= corruption + cyanide’ and ‘Rosia Montana is not for sale’. The event started with Eugen David, President of ‘Alburnus Maior’ and a young activist calling out the Canadian Ambassador by blowing the ‘tulnic’, the famous Alpenhorn from the Apuseni Mountains.

Shortly after, the event’s main organizers were invited into the embassy where they were met by Gilles Potvin, Canada’s Commercial Counselor to Romania. During the over one hour discussion Mr Potvin communicated an official statement on the Rosia Montana mining project and amongst other, detailed the generous amount of funds Gabriel already invested towards the realization of its project. Some of the themes discussed included the World Bank withdrawal, the project’s benefits and beneficiaries, the en-bloc and on-going resignations of senior Gabriel directors as well as the significance of Ovidiu Tender, the controversial Romanian businessman who happens to be a director of Gabriel. When Eugen David raised the issue of local opposition and fate of those refusing to be involuntarily resettled Mr Potvin’s reply suggested that those opposing to move are inhibiting those who wish to ‘develop’ and are in favor of the project. The ‘informative’ dialogue ended with Mr Potvin expressing his hope that those opposed will eventually come to understand the benefits of the project. Eugen David replied that in his function of both a mining engineer and farmer he fully understands the development and that this is why he would continue to highlight the endemic risks and irregularities inherent to Gabriel’s project.

Outside the event’s main organizers were greeted by the press. “We know Mr Potvin from Rosia Montana where he had meetings with RMGC but not with the local opposition. Strange that today’s official statement makes a point about a dialogue with all involved parties. Since Mr Potvin spoke on behalf of the Canadian Government, we the locals from Rosia Montana herewith transfer the entire responsibility for realities such as corruption, blackmail, forced resettlement, the destruction of unique archaeological treasures and all other problems to the Canadian government,” said Eugen David.

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For more information contact Eugen David, President of ‘Alburnus Maior’ on +40 (0) 740 280309 and Stephanie Roth on +40 (00 740 342104. Gilles Potvin may be contacted on +40 (0)722 222212 and +40 (0) 21 307 5021.

 http://www.rosiamontana.org
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