Argentina, Uruguay agree to set up commission on border river monitoring

Argentina and Uruguay agreed on Wednesday to establish a commission of science and technology to monitor the Uruguay River on the border of both countries.

The commission will include four scientists from the two countries, said Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman and his Uruguayan counterpart Luis Almagro.

Scientists will study and monitor the ecological environment of the river every year, according to the agreement.

Authorities will take two samples each time using sensors and other technical tools. It is expected to conduct investigations 12 times every year.

Timerman said the agreement "opens a new chapter of cooperation between Buenos Aires and Montevideo."

There has been a dispute between Argentina and Uruguay since 2005, when Argentina fiercely protested Uruguay's approval to build a pulp mill along the border river, fearing that severe pollution may endanger the ecological environment on its side.

On July 23, the two countries inked a deal to monitor the border river using scientific methods, and the establishment of the commission is a follow-up step of the deal.

Source: Xinhua