Mercosur

• Tuesday, September 23rd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina begins dialogue with private creditors.

  Argentina proposed this Monday in Dubai a restructuring of its foreign debt of 94,3 billion US dollars that includes an average write off equivalent to 75% of the face value of defaulted bonds.

• Tuesday, September 23rd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine-Chilean border integration.

  Argentine Ambassador in Chile, Carlos Abihaggle said Argentina will “invest heavily” to improve frontier passes and facilitate the circulation of residents from both countries.

• Tuesday, September 23rd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  “Complex” negotiations, but should be agreed by late 2004.

  Argentine authorities admitted the complexity of negotiations with private creditors holders of 94,3 billion US dollars in defaulted bonds, but also believes an understanding can be reached by late 2004.

• Tuesday, September 23rd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Euro Central Bank president confirmed.

  French born Jean-Claude Trichet is the next president of the European Bank following his approval by the European Union Congress.

• Monday, September 22nd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Chavez “ousted before the end of 2003”

  Twice former Venezuelan president Carlos Andrés Pérez forecasted that current president Hugo Chávez will be ousted from office “this year”, and his ousting “will not be without violence”.

• Monday, September 22nd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Uruguay's UN troops under the spotlight

  Uruguayan authorities have ordered an inquiry into allegations that Uruguayan peace keeping troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo under United Nations umbrella, have been involved in human rights abuses, following a report from Amnesty International.

• Saturday, September 20th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  IMF approves Argentina's program, but?.

  After two long months of tough negotiations, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund approved this Saturday the three years 12,5 billion US dollars agreement reached with Argentina. The board meeting was presided by First Deputy Managing Director Anne Krueger and extended for over three hours

• Saturday, September 20th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  French Request for Argentine Rejected.

  A federal judge today Saturday rejected a French request to extradite a former Argentine naval captain wanted in the deaths of two French nuns killed during Argentina's Dirty War.

• Thursday, September 18th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  OAS support for mine clearance in Chile.

  The Organization of American States, OAS, will provide technical assistance to Chile for the elimination of antipersonnel mine inventories. An agreement was signed this week in Washington under which OAS will help Chile “with the elimination of stockpiles, acquisition of special equipment and obtaining international financial support for mine clearance operations”.

• Thursday, September 18th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Petrobras oil production 2,1 million barrels/day.

  The average oil and natural gas daily production of Petrobas in Brazil and abroad during August reached 2,091,506 barrels, a 2,6% expansion over July and 12,2% above twelve months ago.