MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Gas deal has ?surprise' in store

Argentina and Bolivia put the final touches on the energy agreement to be signed by Presidents Nestor Kirchner and Evo Morales today Thursday in Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

The key points in the covenant were agreed at a meeting held at the Federal Planning Ministry between Minister Julio De Vido and Bolivian Foreign Affairs Minister David Choquehuanca.

Argentina seeks to increase natural gas imports from a daily 7.7 million cubic metres to as much as 27.7 million cubic metres for a 20-year period in order to ensure supply and help overcome domestic shortage. Argentina currently imports the fuel at US$5 dollars per million BTUs.

De Vido said that as a result of the gas deal with Bolivia, "a fourth of our country which does not have natural gas will be able to access this service."

While none of the officials gave details on the price that Argentina will pay for natural gas coming from Bolivia, Choquehuanca said that "there will be surprises" within the framework agreement. "President Evo Morales will announce a surprise measure today Thursday in Santa Cruz," he said.

At a press conference following the meeting at the San Martín Palace, Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Taiana and his Bolivian counterpart confirmed that Enarsa and the Bolivian YPFB company would develop energy projects for the two countries.