Romania's agriculture minister Adrian Chesnoiu announced on Thursday that the negotiation team for the takeover of the sugar factory in Luduş had been set up. The state will buy the factory in partnership with the farmers from the current owner, the French group Tereos, which wants to close it down.

Minister Chesnoiu had a new official meeting with the management of Tereos Romania to introduce the negotiating team set up by ministerial order to establish the timetable for taking over the sugar factory in Luduş, Mureş County.

"I convey to you the firm commitment of the Romanian state to complete this process. We need to inventory the goods, the assets, start the necessary audits, and elaborate the related documents in accordance with the provisions of the legislation in force. We buy the factory to produce sugar. We want to resume the production cycle and factory activity as soon as possible, especially in the international context of the sugar market," minister Chesnoiu said.

François Queva, CEO of Tereos Romania, denied all the rumours circulating in the public space related to the factory's closure, mentioning that the commitment made before the minister, in April, regarding the availability of selling this production unit to the Romanian state remained unchanged.

The representative of the French company also pointed out that no component of the factory had been dismantled or sold.

andrei@romania-insider.com

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