Xinhua (China)
August 7, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english
BUENOS AIRES, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) — Argentina and Chile on Thursday signed agreements on road, railway and economic integration as well as transit of people in a bid to deepen the bilateral ties.
The agreements were signed during the second Bi-national Meeting of Ministers, which was led by Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana and his Chilean counterpart Mariano Fernandez.
"The meeting ratifies that for both countries the bi-national integration process is a policy of State," Taiana said, adding that "our foreign ministries have done a project surpassing the historical Peace and Friendship Treaty of 1984, which includes all the previous institutional experiences of our bilateral tie."
The meeting was part of the activities to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Peace and Friendship Treaty of 1984, which ended confrontation between the two countries over the maritime demarcation of the Beagle Channel.
The meeting "gives strength to continue working on what can be an exemplar integration model in the South Cone of the Americas," Fernandez Thursday said.
The two sides planned to build a low-high railway tunnel crossing the Andes. Both ministers said that the physical integration between the two countries had increased due to the adequacy of the infrastructure in the border passes of Jama, Cardenal Samore and integracion Austral at the Andes mountain range.
The Pehuenche pass, 1,180 km west to Buenos Aires, will be inaugurated next year, Taiana said.
Editor: Li Shuncheng
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-08/07/content_11840666.htm