MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

De-mining along Bolivian border begins July 21

Chile will begin next July 21 the destruction of antipersonnel mines planted along the Bolivian border, announced the Chilean Consul in La Paz, Francisco Perez Walker.

Both countries defence ministers will be present at the official beginning of mine sweeping operation in the Bolivian border town of Tambo Quemado.

"These are extraordinarily positive events and reflect a very fluid relation between the two countries", said Mr. Perez Walker following a meeting with caretaker Bolivian president Eduardo Rodríguez Wednesday midday in La Paz.

Chile planted mines along the Bolivian border in the late seventies and the destruction of the lethal explosives is a commitment under the 1997 Ottawa Convention which bans the planting, production, storage and transfer of anti personnel mines.

The Chilean consul also pointed out the "very good moment" of bilateral relations with Bolivia underlining the recent Foreign Affairs ministers meetings during the Mercosur summit in Asunción, Paraguay and Deputy Secretaries gathering in Santiago.

According to official Chilean data from 1999, Chile had operational 429,727 antipersonnel land mines of which 309.056 have been destroyed, with the rest to be eliminated by 2011.

In August 2003 the Chilean Defence Ministry revealed it had de-activated 60,000 similar mines which where stored in military compounds.

Chile, Bolivia and Peru have pending border disputes and in the seventies when South America was mostly ruled by military dictatorships some of them almost became armed conflicts.