Versión Español
EspañolOn Friday, the government of Argentina informed Uruguayan officials that it will again turn to the International Court of Justice over an alleged violation of an agreement that was handed down by this court in the case regarding UPM (exBotnia) cellulose factory, located on a river shared by both countries.
By allowing UPM to increase its production, Uruguay has been accused of not fulfilling the decision delivered by the court. Argentinian Minister of Foreign Relations Héctor Timerman said that his country “will proceed to reevaluate all bilateral agreements with Uruguay,” as a consequence of this decision.
The two countries faced each other in the ICJ in 2006 over the factory. The dispute ended in 2010 when the court ruled in favor of its construction. The court recommended the creation of a bilateral commission to evaluate its environmental impact. Since then, tensions between the neighbor countries have been reduced, although Argentinean authorities continue to claim that UPM contaminates their waters, something that the Uruguayan government has always denied.
The conflict over the factory intensified in 2013 after Uruguayan President José Mujica authorized the Finnish cellulose company to increase its production from 1.1 to 1.2 million tons per year, sparking Argentina’s protests.
Source: BBC Mundo.
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