Rio Tinto Ltd and local Aboriginal traditional owners said on Thursday both parties had taken initial steps in rebuilding their relationship, after the miner destroyed sacred Aboriginal caves in Western Australia in May.
A joint session of the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people (PKKP), the traditional owners of the land, and Rio Tinto boards had been held to reaffirm the miner's apology and commitment to rebuilding the relationship, the joint statement said.
"While there has been some important progress made in the relationship so far, we are not underestimating the time it will take to genuinely work together and achieve the mutual objectives of this partnership," they said.
(Reporting by Rashmi Ashok in Bengaluru; editing by Uttaresh.V)
