The possible termination by the
government of its partnership with multinational steel
manufacturer ArcelorMittal in the struggling former ILVA
steelworks in Taranto depends solely on the latter, Cabinet
Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano said on Tuesday.
"The government does not 'prefer to end the partnership' with
the ArcelorMittal group: this eventuality is imposed by your
decisions," wrote Mantovano in a letter to ArcelorMittal CEO
Aditya Mittal.
"The crisis situation of Acciaierie d'Italia S.p.A. ('ADI, the
former ILVA) stems exclusively from the decision of the
ArcelorMittal Group to abandon its prerogatives as an industrial
partner," continued Mantovano in reply to a letter sent by
Mittal to Premier Giorgia Meloni on Thursday.
"The government, therefore, did not adopt 'a unilateral
approach' in this matter, but rather sought every possible
solution in the best and exclusive interest of ADI, its parent
company Acciaierie d'Italia Holding S.p.A) and all their
stakeholders, including first and foremost the workers and
suppliers," he added.
On Monday sources close to the Franco-Indian multinational said
it had yet to receive a response from the government to a letter
offering fresh terms
on the ADI steelworks in Taranto.
ArcelorMittal recently backed out of a deal to up its stake in
the troubled works, which have been roiled by falling demand and
industrial and environmental woes amid high cancer rates in the
Puglia port city.
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