Santo Domingo.- The company Barrick Gold, which operates in the country under the name Pueblo Viejo Dominicana Corporation, in Cotui, Fantino, Maimon and Piedra Blanca (northeast) signed at the Dominican Headquarter of Canadian Embassy, in a cooperation agreement to support development plans in the region.

Canada ambassador Patricia Fortier was present in the activity, where the leaders if those municipalities pledged to undertake the effort with the support of the Canadian Embassy, the Community Farmers Association of the Cibao region, and the Dominican Municipalities Federation (FEDOMU).

In this agreement, Barrick and the municipal authorities recognize and assume the plans for region development that have been planned with cooperation of organizations and communities of Cotui, Fantino, Maimon and Piedra Blanca, and they made the commitment of establishing as a priority these projects and to give the resources for its execution.

With this agreement that Barrick and those municipalities have signed, they’ll help with the development of these communities, promote economic growth and create jobs; protecting natural resources and the environment, prevent and mitigate the natural risks related to human activities; to improve health services, education, culture and sports, to reach and overcome the national average in the achievement of New Millennium Objectives and strengthen the democracy in the Municipal Institutions and its capacity of management.

This agreement was signed under the name of Barrick-Pueblo Viejo by its executive director, Fernando Sanchez Albavera; in Cotui by its mayor Bienvenido Lazala; in Fantino by its mayor Jose Estevez; Maimon by its mayor Roberto Cruz Sanchez; Piedra Blanca by its mayor Carmen Altagracia Garcia; and the Canadian Embassy, as a witness, by its ambassador Patricia Fortier.

In the document, Barrick-Pueblo Viejo recognizes, as part of Law No.176-07 of National District and the municipalities, to this City Hall as the main speaker in the territory and the main route for dialogs between all local citizens with common wellbeing as the objective, and it also committed to the fulfillment of law and municipal normative.

The municipalities commit to contribute and guarantee that all operations of this Enterprise develop in “an atmosphere of harmony and peace, in accordance with the laws and the contract signed between the company and the Dominican State.”

The signature of this agreement was introduced by Canadian Ambassador Patricia Fortier, who explained the motivations for the agreement. After the signature, Barrick-Pueblo Viejo executive director Fernando Sanchez Albavera and the mayor of Cotui, Bienvenido Lazala, said a few words to consider the importance of this document.