As I understand it, they didn't promise not to sue, only that they would not sue if they were not allowed to exploit uranium. GGG isn't there to exploit uranium but rather REEs. They are indeed in the same ore body, however GGG only wants the REEs and will put the uranium back --- or any place else the GoG wants it to go. No worries. But I agree that long expensive and acrimonious lawsuits are not in anybody's interest --- not GGG; not the GoG; not the people of Greenland. But Naaja N. has already unambiguously stated that GGG is a special case and that the GoG (not then dominated by her party, but the same entity legally) had given special permission to GGG to explore for uranium. This knowing full well that the REEs and the uranium are part & parcel of the same ore. No problem proving that point. Thus, beyond the undertakings given by either side there is their previous and provable comportment vis a vis this issue. GGG played it by the book. The GoG changed tack when a new party came to power, but prior to this the GoG actively ENCOURAGED --- or a hypothetical "reasonable person" would conclude they were encouraging GGG to explore for both. Thus should it ever come to court (which I doubt, personally), GGG would very likely win a lawsuit --- but it might well prove to be a Pyrrhic victory for them.
However, the IA before the election was held promised (and I quote) to "
..... do our best to stop" (sic!)
the Kvenefjeld project from going ahead". Those words right there, from Mr.Muté Borup Egde, in themselves hint at the possibility for a rather typical "politician's compromise" along these lines:
"W
ell as promised we the IA did try our very best to stop the project. However, when we got into office, we found our hands were already tied by Siumut's previous errors. Therefore this {
insert face-saving compromise}
was the best we could do in the cirumstances." I agree, however, that there is a whole lot GGG could and should do to "sugar the pill" and make some face saving formula easier to swallow all round. Starting with (as I have said before) giving the good folk of Narsaq and of Greenland a personal interest in the project's successful progression - ie.by somehow appealing discretely but directly to their "hip-pocket nerve"
. With a little tact, diplomacy and "delicatesse", this might not be so hard to do. It would indeed cost something but I feel that the return to GGG going forward would far outweigh that cost.
