MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Pulp mills dispute: announced summit “conditioned”

Suspending the construction of the controversial pulp mills is a previous “condition” to the scheduled summit of Uruguay and Argentina's presidents, warned this Friday in Buenos Aires Chief of cabinet Alberto Fernandez.

"We're expecting a gesture from the pulp mills", being built on the Uruguayan side of the shared and jointly managed River Uruguay said Mr. Fernandez.

"The members of the Gualeguaychú and Colon citizens' assemblies have responded to the gesture requested by both presidents which was to lift the blockades, and they did so with no conditions or time limit. We're still waiting for the pulp mills part, because this is a condition for the meeting of both presidents", insisted Mr. Fernandez.

Uruguay and Argentina are at odds over the construction of the two pulp mills which Argentine residents and environmentalists fear will pollute the water and air plus becoming a hazard for the local tourism industry. Uruguay denies the claim saying the pulp mills are being built following the latest European techniques.

Two months ago the protest turned into permanent pickets blockading access to two of the international bridges leading to Uruguay. In Chile a couple of weeks ago both presidents agreed to put on hold the construction of the mills on the Uruguayan side of the river until an independent environment study is completed. At the same time pickets on the Argentine side would cease.

A Finish and a Spanish company have plans to invest 1.8 billion US dollars in the two factories, possibly the single largest investment project in Uruguay's history. Thousands of Uruguayans have expressed support for the project, which they say is safe, legal, and would bring much-needed foreign investment and jobs.