MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Kirchner/Bachelet summit to appease relations

Argentine and Chilean presidents are scheduled to meet next Tuesday in the Argentine province of Mendoza for the opening of the bidding process for the construction of a 200 kilometres trans-Andean railway which will link the neighbouring countries across the shared mountain range.

The formal announcement was made in Buenos Aires by Argentine Foreign Affairs minister Jorge Taiana, but political analysts agree the event is seen as an opportunity for Mr. Nestor Kirchner and Ms Michelle Bachelet to address a list of irritating issues with diplomatic consequences that have clouded bilateral relations during the last few weeks.

The on going insufficient provision of Argentine natural gas to Chile, which has caused President Bachelet and her predecessor Ricardo Lagos mounting domestic problems, is expected to be top of the list plus the recent misunderstandings over the publication of controversial Argentine tourism maps including the whole of the Southern Ice fields, a region under litigation.

Chile's Government House spokesperson Ricardo Lagos Weber admitted that the neighbouring countries presidential summit had been scheduled and several issues will be addressed.

"Certainly the energy issue, and as President Bachelet has repeatedly said to rebuild relations that two countries which share over 4.000 kilometres of boundaries, are entitled to, will be considered", said Lagos Weber.

Chilean Foreign Affairs minister Alejandro Foxley also anticipated from Santiago that both presidents could be meeting in New York sometime next September 20/21 when the United Nations General Assembly.

Bachelet and Kirchner's last private meeting was last July in Cordoba, Argentina during the Mercosur summit.

On Tuesday the Chilean Senate unanimously approved an agreement project requesting the Kirchner administration to abide by the 1998 boundaries agreement.

In 1998 under former presidents Carlos Menem and Eduardo Frei, Argentina and Chile put an end to several border litigations with the only exception of a 60 miles area in the Fits Roy mountain region, which both sides have not necessarily respected.

Argentines allege that last February Chilean pilots from the Air Force training in extreme weather conditions in the disputed area flew a Chilean flag and had pictures taken of a camp tent with a sign saying "Chilean territory".

Chileans have complained that Argentine tourist maps include the whole disputed area as Argentine when in reality it should figure blank (no colours) or stripped, which is precisely the Chilean Senate request to the Argentine government.

However both administrations have tried to "cool" down the maps dispute arguing that there's "a good chemistry" between both presidents.

"Mr Kirchner does not want to harm relations", said Taiana.