MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Light at the end of corridor for Botnia pickets conflict

Orion - Botnia mills in Uruguay

A political ally of Argentina's president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner admitted over the weekend that the Botnia pulp mill in Uruguay, and at the heart of ongoing dispute between the neighbouring countries, does not contaminate and called for the liberation of the bridges currently blocked by pickets.

Governor Sergio Urribarri from the province of Entre Rios, just across from Fray Bentos where the Botnia mill is located, added that he will do his utmost to ensure the three bridges linking Argentina and Uruguay are cleared and freed to traffic. "We'll appeal to all the needed political action to avoid pickets from blocking the bridges", said Urribarri, adding that his provincial government "will discourage all collective actions targeted to impede the tourist flow to Uruguay and also any solitary action of a very few who are intent is threatening the economic activity of the whole community". Mrs. Kirchner on taking office openly stated she was against pickets blocking bridges as a form of protest, but refused to have them removed. "That is for the judicial branch", she was quoted at the time. Urribarri revealed that according to the surveys from the Federal Environment and Sustainable Development Secretary and the municipality of Gualeguaychú, or "picket city", "so far no contamination of the river Uruguay has been detected because of the Botnia pulp mill". He added he was convinced "Uruguay violated the joint administration treaty but we must concentrate in the Mercosur trade corridor, from the Atlantic to the Pacific" underscored the governor. "We must leave the conflict under an umbrella with its own judicial dynamics in (ICJ) The Hague" insisted Urribarri. He also promised to use all the necessary "political action" to impede cutting the three bridges' traffic between the neighbouring countries, which was announced last week by picket leaders in Gualeguaychu with the purpose of interrupting the summer season in Uruguay. "As government officials last week we have requested the lifting of the pickets" he indicated. Urribarri said he had proposed a constructive and open dialogue with Uruguay to save the future of the trade corridor which is potentially very important for Mercosur and "can't be absorbed by a regional conflict".