November 26, 2014
In view of the invitation extended by the company in The Hague in April 2014, yesterday the Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation of the Netherlands, Lilianne Ploumen, visited Drummond’s mining operations in Cesar, where she was accompanied by a delegation of approximately 40 persons, including official staff members of the Dutch government, Colombian government officials, European utility companies representatives, foreign journalists and representatives from different trade organizations and NGOs.
The visit was also accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Mines, María Isabel Ulloa; officials from the Colombian Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Mines, the National Mining Agency and the National Environmental Licensing Agency.
During the visit through the company’s operations, Minister Ploumen and her delegation were able to learn, first hand, about the mining process, haulage and the export of the coal that is being extracted in El Cesar, and they had the opportunity to learn about all the policies and protocols that the company implements in order to have a sustainable operation, which prevents and mitigates impacts on the environment and generates value for the country, for the workers and for the communities from the area of influence of the company’s operation.
“For Drummond Ltd. and for all its employees, it is an honor to have the visit of Minister Ploumen and her delegation, and to be able to present our social and environmental responsibility strategy, which represents the efforts of our managerial staff and of more than 5,000 workers, in developing a sustainable mining activity that complies with the highest standards”, said José Miguel Linares, Drummond Ltd.’s president, who added that this was “a productive and very positive visit”
The high ranking official from The Netherlands and her delegation took part in a presentation about the challenge of mining development in Colombia and Drummond’s contribution to Colombia’s exports and to the country’s economic growth. The delegation also learned how the high quality mineral that reaches The Netherlands is capable of generating resources for the progress of the 5,000 employees and their family members; about the implementation of technologies that optimize the use of the resources and protect the environment, and programs that generate different skills in the inhabitants of the area of influence and add social value.
Official staff members from the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Mines, the National Mining Authority and the National Authority of Environmental Licensing were part of the delegation, together with representatives from five important European companies, such as E.ON, Essent, EFZ, Nuon Energy and GDF Suez, who were able to see, first hand, how the company undertakes huge efforts to strengthen the sustainability of its operation and to meet the highest quality standards.
