"Partile au ajuns la o intelegere verbala pe care sintem in continuare gata sa o respectam", spune intr-un comunicat de presa remis redactiei HotNews.ro Mike Curtis, partener la BayFront Capital Partners - banca detinatoare a companiei Roman Copper. "Aceasta intelegere include termeni ceruti de Guvern si acceptati de Roman Copper, desi nu erau inclusi in forma initiala a contractului prezentata in pachetul de privatizare. Am fost surprinsi cand comisia de de negociere a refuzat sa accepte semnatura noastra scrisa", se mai arata in comunicatul remis simbata dimineata.

Reprezentantul Roman Copper spune ca intelegerea verbala definitiva a fost realizata tirziu in cursul zilei de 6 aprilie, iar compania canadiana considera ca contractul este in picioare. "Credem ca avem o intelegere valida si care produce efecte, si vom continua sa lucram cu buna credinta cu autoritatile romane pentru a clarifica aceste aspecte".

UPDATE 15.30: Intrebati de HotNews.ro daca pozitia exprimata inseamna ca Roman Copper ar putea merge in justitie pentru a cere incheierea contractului, reprezentantii companiei au refuzat sa faca precizari suplimentare, adaugind doar "sintem optimisti ca aparenta neintelegere va fi rezolvata"

Reamintim cavanzarea companiei Cupru Min catre Roman Copper a esuat, oficialii romani spunind vineri noaptea - dupa expirarea termenului legal de zece zile de la licitatiei - ca firma canadiana a refuzat sa depuna intr-un cont bancar o garantie pentru investitiile de mediu, sa achite in maxim o luna pretul pentru actiuni si sa accepte publicarea documentului de privatizare.

La inceputul saptamanii trecute, firma canadiana Roman Copper Corp. a castigat licitatia pentru preluarea Cupru Min Abrud la pretul de 200,77 milioane euro, de 3,5 ori peste pretul de pornire a licitatiei, de 57,3 milioane euro.

Comunicatul complet al Roman Copper (lb. engleza):

Roman Copper Agrees to Acquire Romania’s Cupru Min.

Bucharest and Toronto – April 7, 2012 – Roman Copper Corp. reached a definitive verbal agreement with the government of Romania yesterday on the acquisition of Cupru Min Abrud under the government’s privatization program.

“The parties reached a final verbal agreement which we were and still are ready to execute in full”, said Mike Curtis, partner at BayFront Capital Partners, the Toronto-based merchant bank that owns Roman Copper. ”This agreement includes terms that were requested by the government and accepted by Roman Copper, even though they were not initially included in the form of the contract presented in the privatization package. We were surprised that the negotiating committee refused to accept our written signature.”

The definitive verbal agreement was reached in the late evening of April 6, and Roman Copper accepts all the terms. Mr Curtis added that Roman Copper considers the contract to be in effect. “We believe that we have a valid and binding agreement, and we will continue to work in good faith with the Romanian authorities to clarify this matter.”

Roman Copper wishes to thank the Romanian government in anticipation of rectifying an apparent and unfortunate misunderstanding over the status of the agreement.

Roman Copper won an open, international auction on March 26, 2012 for 100 per cent of the shares of Cupru Min as part of Romania’s privatization program.

“Our proposal to acquire Cupru Min has been made in a spirit of transparency and collaboration”, Mr Curtis added. “We are looking forward to making a significant contribution to local communities near the mine, as well as to the broader Romanian economy.”