MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Kirchner calls for 90 days truce in pulp mills dispute

Argentine president Nestor Kirchner once again called on the European companies, Finnish Botnia and Spanish Ence, building pulp mills in Uruguay to temporarily suspend construction.

"This overblown dispute can be easily defined with an environment impact assessment. I humbly request Botnia and Ence to open their doors so we can know the truth" about the environmental impact of the plants said a conciliatory Mr. Kirchner speaking from Government House in Buenos Aires.

"I'm only asking for 90 days to give time for an environment impact report", he added.

President Kirchner who ended a self imposed silence on the conflict with Uruguay also called on the pickets from the Argentine city of Gualeguaychú to lift the blockade of the roads leading to the international bridges linking the two neighbouring countries. However he made it clear he would not use force to clear the roads.

"Please lift the pickets; you can count on me that I will not order truncheons against you, I'm a man of dialogue", he stressed.

Earlier in the day Gualeguaychú picketers decided in a public assembly to end the pickets once the Argentine government commits a specific date for presenting the pulp mills case before The Hague International Court.

"We love our Uruguayan brothers", underlined President Kirchner who insisted the conflict was an "environmental issue" and that there was no political dispute with Uruguayan president Tabare Vazquez.

President Kirchner questioned the Finnish government attitude arguing that "here we are also facing responsibility from the government of Finland which so far has remained silent".

But the greatest surprise came when the Argentine president made public a report from former World Bank vice-president Lawrence Summers who sponsors the idea of transferring polluting industries to poor underdeveloped countries.

According to the World Bank 1991 internal report read by Mr. Kirchner "the economic logic which tells us that we should get rid of toxic waste by sending it to countries will low salaries is in my opinion impeccable and must be addressed".

"Cancerous substances take years in producing effects", therefore the effect is preferable in countries with low life expectancy, "poor countries where people usually die before cancer has time to appear".

Mr. Lawrence, a Harvard professor went on to become Secretary of the Treasury under President Bill Clinton.

"Why not a greater transfer of contaminating industries to the Third World", allegedly asks Lawrence in the report.

"Contamination costs are linked to mortality. From this point of view, a certain degree of pernicious contamination could be undertaken in countries with lower costs, lower salaries, and therefore compensations to be paid for potential damages would also be lower in developing countries", argues Mr. Lawrence.