brought under the dominican republic - central america - ita
brought under the dominican republic - central america - ita
brought under the dominican republic - central america - ita
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meetings with <strong>the</strong> Government in 2008 seeking approval of <strong>the</strong> necessary permits.” 69<br />
Accordingly, <strong>the</strong> Tribunal concludes that <strong>the</strong> alleged omission to grant a permit and<br />
concession was not completely finalised before 13 December 2007, because even at<br />
that time <strong>the</strong>re still seemed to be a reasonable possibility, as <strong>under</strong>stood by <strong>the</strong><br />
Claimant, to receive such permit and concession notwithstanding <strong>the</strong> passage of<br />
time.<br />
2.85. In conclusion, taking stock of all <strong>the</strong> evidential materials adduced before <strong>the</strong> Tribunal<br />
and <strong>the</strong> several submissions from both <strong>the</strong> Claimant and <strong>the</strong> Respondent, <strong>the</strong> Tribunal<br />
concludes that: (i) before 13 December 2007, <strong>the</strong> Claimant was aware of difficulties<br />
in obtaining <strong>the</strong> permit and concession; (ii) discussions with Salvadoran authorities<br />
to resolve those difficulties extended at least until mid-2008, after President<br />
Saca‟s speech; (iii) exchanges between <strong>the</strong> Claimant and <strong>the</strong> Salvadoran authorities,<br />
involving <strong>the</strong> latter‟s request for fur<strong>the</strong>r information after <strong>the</strong> legal date which (as<br />
<strong>the</strong> Respondent alleges) constituted <strong>the</strong> legal termination of administrative proceedings,<br />
70 suggest that <strong>the</strong> door was not closed to <strong>the</strong> Claimant before 13 December<br />
2007; and (iv) <strong>the</strong> fact that, differing from o<strong>the</strong>r similar requests, 71 no formal decision<br />
was taken by <strong>the</strong> Respondent terminating such proceedings likewise suggests<br />
that <strong>the</strong>se proceedings were still live at <strong>the</strong> beginning of 2008. 72 In addition, as already<br />
explained by this Tribunal, <strong>the</strong> Claimant has unequivocally pleaded later in<br />
<strong>the</strong>se proceedings (after <strong>the</strong> Notice of Arbitration but at least from its Counter-<br />
Memorial onwards) that <strong>the</strong> relevant measure does not comprise one or more of <strong>the</strong><br />
individual acts taken by MARN and MINEC, but <strong>the</strong> alleged de facto ban or practice<br />
by <strong>the</strong> Respondent that was not made public before <strong>the</strong> Claimant‟s change of nationality<br />
on 13 December 2007.<br />
69<br />
70<br />
71<br />
72<br />
Notice of Intent, § 32.<br />
See <strong>the</strong> letter from MINEC to PRES dated 4 December 2006, and <strong>the</strong> letter from MARN to PRES issued<br />
exactly two years after (4 December 2008), evidencing in both cases that at <strong>the</strong> time of such letters <strong>the</strong><br />
proceedings were still not terminated.<br />
See <strong>the</strong> Tribunal´s question at <strong>the</strong> Hearing (D3.559, lines 7/22 and 560, line 1) and <strong>the</strong> Respondent´s<br />
answer (at D3.614, lines 13/22), referring to <strong>the</strong> fact that besides Pacific Rim Mining Corp <strong>the</strong>re was only<br />
one o<strong>the</strong>r Explo<strong>ita</strong>tion Concession Application (of ano<strong>the</strong>r company whose name counsel at that time did<br />
not know), which was filed in 2005 and rejected by <strong>the</strong> Ministry of Economy in 2006. See also <strong>the</strong><br />
references made in §§ 62 and 64 of <strong>the</strong> Commerce Group award indicating that in o<strong>the</strong>r cases MARN and<br />
<strong>the</strong> Ministry of Economy terminated environmental permits and denied <strong>the</strong> extension of licenses<br />
applications.<br />
See Mr Shrake‟s Witness Statement, §§ 101, 118, 119 and 120. The Tribunal notes that <strong>the</strong> Respondent did<br />
not produce any evidence (by means of witness statements or o<strong>the</strong>rwise) expressly contradicting <strong>the</strong><br />
existence and content of <strong>the</strong> conversations and meetings adduced by <strong>the</strong> Claimant.<br />
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