Argentina formally complained to Uruguay on Wednesday about a permit
that country issued to Finnish forestry group Metsa-Botnia to extract
water from the shared Uruguay River, the latest dispute in a wider
battle over Botnia s pulp mill project. Argentina has challenged the
mill at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, claiming
neighboring Uruguay violated a bilateral treaty by not providing enough
information on the riverside project.
Buenos Aires went on the offensive again on Wednesday, saying Uruguay
had made another "unilateral" decision in September when it authorized
Botnia to extract "a significant volume" of water from the shared river.
"This aggravates a situation that is already tense between the two
countries," Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana said in a letter to
his Uruguayan counterpart, adding that the decision could affect the
quality and quantity of river water.
Argentina fears the mill, which is due to begin operating in the third
quarter of 2007, will damage the environment and also hurt tourism and
fishing in the area.
Environmentalists in Argentina have blocked highways leading to Uruguay
in protest over the project, costing Uruguay millions of dollars,
Montevideo has said.
The court in The Hague refused to order a halt to construction, but a
broader decision is not expected until late next year, sources at
Argentinas foreign ministry have said.
Spain s Ence had planned to build a pulp plant next to Botnias mill,
but the company announced it would relocate it. The two mills were
estimated to cost about US$1.7 billion, representing the largest private
investment in Uruguay s history.
(
Planet Ark, 03/11/2006)