Skopje, 26 July 2023 (MIA) – An act should be adopted determining that the potential investment is contrary to the environmental protection standards. This is the only way we can act and submit a proposal with which we would terminate the contract with concessionaire Euromax Resources for the “Ilovica-Shtuka” mining complex, said Minister of Economy Kreshnik Bekteshi at a press conference Wednesday, elaborating all acts and decisions made on the “Ilovica-Shtuka” mines since 2005.

According to Bekteshi, Euromax currently owns both concessions. He said they haven’t been revoked by the Government, so the company, in line with the Law on Mineral Resources, has the right to renew its request for a merging of the concessions.

The Economy Minister said he believes it would be much better for the institutions to make a decision, instead of not acting at all, because, he stressed, by doing so they leave room for an arbitration proceeding which is a great risk. For this specific case, said Bekteshi, an act is necessary which would be related to environmental protection, as per the requests of the citizens and the position of the Ministry of Economy.

“We have a variety of options to have such an act, it could be from the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, since forests have to be cut down, road to be constructed…. We need to have such a document, so we can take action as a Ministry of Economy. Euromax owns both concessions, it will have the right to renew the request for the merging of concessions which means that the Ministry and the state will have Euromax as a concessionaire not of one, but of two concessions. Therefore, our proposals as a Ministry, is to refer to the environmental protection argument as the best option, something which, we, and the entire public are calling for, and then adopt an act which will determine that the potential investment is contrary to the environmental protection standards. Once that act is adopted, or rejected, the very next day the Ministry of Economy will submit a proposal for the termination of the contract,” said Bekteshi.

Bekteshi said his main argument, but also of almost all other institutions since 2016, has been that the potential investment is contrary to the environmental protection regulation.

Photo: Printscreen