Peles Castle is not for sale, says lawyer Vasiliu

The Peles Castle is not for sale, Adrian Vasiliu, the lawyer of the Royal House, told Radio France International on Wednesday. His declaration comes after the announcement referring to the negotiations between the Ministry of Culture and the Royal Family for the extension of the contract on the Romanian State's renting the Castle, a contract that expires next month.

Referring to the start of the negotiations with the representatives of the Royal House for extending the contract on the Romanian State's renting the Peles Castle, Minister of Culture, Religious Affairs and National Patrimony Hunor Kelemen on Tuesday told the working meeting of the Senate's commission on culture, art and mass media that a decision on the state taking it over should be discussed and made by the Government.

'The Royal House wants to sell the Castle. When we are notified in written form, we must give an answer referring to our using the preemption right or not. If we do not use this right, question is what will happen to the 60,000 items in the Peles Castle and in Pelisor, what will happen to the Castle later,' said the Minister of Culture.

After saying on Tuesday that the Romanian State does not have money to buy the Castle, Adrian Vasiliu says that the common wish is that the Peles Castle should go on being state property. Moreover, the lawyer of the Royal House adds: 'The Castle will be open as a museum all the year round.' On the other hand Adrian Vasiliu directs the Romanian authorities' attention to the fact that the Castle has not correctly been taken care of, a reason for which the Peles Castle is said to have deteriorated.

'The Ministry of Culture, which represents the Government, voiced wish to extend the contract on the Romanian State's renting the Castle, which runs out on March 1, to the entire year 2010, in search for funds for the Romanian State to buy the Peles Castle. There is not the slightest possibility for the Peles Castle not to go on being a museum and not to be a museum for ever, as His Majesty King Mihai voiced wish and as the Romanian State wants. The price terms will not be the harshest possible ones, on the contrary,' said the lawyer of the Royal House. According to Agerpres, Adrian Vasiliu also said that 'this Castle needs to be well taken care of.'