Bougainville update
Published by MAC on 2007-03-02
Bougainville update
2nd March 2007
The self-styled European Shareholders of Bougainville Copper (despite its title, it doesn’t include the company's dominant shareholder, Rio Tinto) is understandably happy that the Panguna landowners association apparently accepts them as legitimate participants in discussions over re-opening the benighted mine.
The group’s spokesperson last week declared himself "...very satisfied to hear that the landowners...soon want to start negotiations with BCL only, and not with other [sic!] dubious companies."
But the Europeans shouldn't assume that all is now in the bag for a resumption of mining - far from it.