As of yesterday, 15^th Decemeber, the Mineral Resource Authority (MRA) stopped receiving applications for special exploration permission. Subsequently, the MRA has clarified that: “Government Protocol number 239 of 28^th July 2014 has been changed. In accordance with this alteration, it is planned to establish a “National Natural Resource Park”. The new lists of ecologically important regions together with the exploration blocks to be added to State Special Protection need to be correlated. Also, the coordination work on the new blocks, which will provide the basis for special exploration permission, is being studied. Therefore, we have temporarily stopped receiving applications”. The MRA will receive no more applications until the end of 2015.