MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina goes to The Hague

Argentina yesterday announced that it had lodged a claim against Uruguay before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, protesting at the construction of two paper pulp mills it fears will pollute their river border.

Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana announced the filing of the complaint over the construction of two wood pulp plants in Fray Bentos, Uruguay ? a 1.8-billion-dollar combined investment that is the largest in the history of the neighbouring country.

Argentine authorities argue that Uruguay did not provide enough time for a thorough environmental impact study of the plants being built next to the River Uruguay.

Uruguayan officials say several studies have been completed and that state-of-the-art pollution controls will keep any contaminants within internationally accepted limits.

Taiana announced the filing at a news conference in Puerto Iguazú in northeastern Argentina, where he was on hand for a four-nation gas summit. He told reporters there that the Argentine government was renewing a demand for a halt to all construction on the plants for 90 days while an environmental impact study can be completed.

"Argentina has submitted its complaint against Uruguay," he declared, adding that Argentina believed Uruguay had violated international treaty provisions on administering shared water resources along their border.

Uruguayan authorities had no immediate comment on the filing.

During a visit to Washington this week, Uruguayan President Tabaré Vázquez sought support for the pulp mills. The World Bank issued a statement on Wednesday reiterating that its International Finance Corporation (IFC) is evaluating whether to help finance them.

Vázquez met yesterday with US President George W. Bush, saying he informed him about the conflict. But he said Bush took no sides in the dispute and the two met before the announcement made by the Argentine government.

Speaking with reporters at his Washington hotel, Vázquez said Argentina opposition blockades on the border with Uruguay have caused millions of dollars in lost trade. The sporadic barricade-building on two of the three bridges began in December and ended early this week. Uruguay says it lost around 400 million dollars because of the roadblocks.

"This conflict has had an impact on the region, on all of Latin America," Vázquez added.

Taiana said Argentina had filed the complaint at The Hague after repeated attempts to amicably settle differences with the smaller South American neighbour.

One of the plants is being built by Finnish consortium Metsa-Botnia and the second by Spain's Grupo Empresarial ENCE.

Authorities said the filing of a complaint with the international court would force Uruguay to provide a written reply and the complaint could lead to oral testimony. Such a process could take months or years.

President Néstor Kirchner, provincial governors and top Cabinet officials are expected to meet today with local authorities in the Argentine city of Gualeguaychú, closest to the plant site across the river in Uruguay. Gualeguaychú has been up in arms against the construction of the plants for over a year.

Government officials said yesterday that 19 of Argentina's 23 governors have confirmed they will attend today's rally, expected to be massive, in Gualeguaychú, a cozy town known for its carnival and its river beaches.

The people of Gualeguaychú and of the whole province of Entre Ríos are expectant about the President's speech, which is scheduled for midday today at the Corsódromo carnival parade stadium.

While the people of Gualeguaychú are calling for the plants to resettle somewhere far from the border, the Kirchner government has acknowledged Uruguay's right to build the plants but questioned lack of information about the environmental impact they would have. Buenos Aires Herald