Pend - I hope you are right, but I am admittedly much less of an optimist than I used to be. I still maintain a position KRY because I believe we have a strong case to recover at a minimum our investment in social projects and even with the note holders that takes us well above where we are now.

VZ has to use foreign nationals because they lack the technology or the money. Those foreign companies however will be from Russia, China, Iran, Cuba and South Africa as recently mentioned. They will not in my opinion be from the West.

In communications with RM in the past he used to say he did not rule out a permit and that they still planned to open the mine. That dialgue has changed to "they are engaged in a process that will improve revenue in a quicker manner than arbitration" (paraphrased)

I think even KRY realizes they won't be mining but the "process" may very well be working out a deal with whoever will be mining as to a price for getting out of the way without arbitration. This may then be the first signs that we may be closer.

The reason I can't see this being about working with KRY in LC is that we have seen story upon story and statement upon statement from CVG to Hugo bashing KRY and blaming it for all the problems. Hugo has polarized himself so far away from the West that I just can't see him allowing KRY to mine.

That said let's hope we see a settlement for the cash is completely gone.