Pulp Mills on the River Uruguay (Argentina v. Uruguay) - Conclusion of the public hearings - Court begins its deliberation

INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

Peace Palace, Carnegieplein 2, 2517 KJ The Hague, Netherlands
Tel.: +31 (0)70 302 2323 Fax: +31 (0)70 364 9928
Website: www.icj-cij.org

Press Release
Unofficial

No. 2009/28
2 October 2009

Pulp Mills on the River Uruguay
(Argentina v. Uruguay)

Conclusion of the public hearings

Court begins its deliberation

THE HAGUE, 2October2009. The public hear ings in the case concerning the Pulp Mills
on the River Uruguay (Argentina v. Uruguay) were concluded today. The Court has started its
deliberation.

During the hearings, which opened on 14Septem ber 2009 at the Peace Palace, seat of the
Court, the delegation of the Argentine Republic was led by H.E.MsSusanaRuizCerutti,
Ambassador, Legal Adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, as
Agent. The delegation of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay was led by H.E.Mr.CarlosGianelli,
Ambassador of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay to the United States of America, as Agent.

The Court’s Judgment will be rendered at a public sitting, the date of which will be
announced in due course.

Final submissions of the Parties

At the end of the oral proceedings, the Agets of the Parties presented the following final
submissions to the Court:

AFgrentina:

“For all the reasons described in its Memorial, in its Reply and in the oral proceedings,
which it fully stands by, the Argentine Republic requests the International Court of Justice: - 2 -

1. to find that by authorizing

⎯ the construction of the ENCE mill;

⎯ the construction and commissioning of the Botnia mill and its associated facilities on the left
bank of the River Uruguay,

the Eastern Republic of Uruguay has violated the obligations incumbent on it under the
Statute of the River Uruguay of 26 February 1975 and has engaged its international responsibility;

2. to adjudge and declare that, as a result, the Eastern Republic of Uruguay must:

(i) resume strict compliance with its obliga tions under the Statute of the River Uruguay of
1975;

(ii)cease immediately the internationally wrongful acts by which it has engaged its
responsibility;

(iii)re-establish on the ground and in legal terms the situation that existed before these
internationally wrongful acts were committed;

(iv)pay compensation to the Argentine Republic for the damage caused by these
internationally wrongful acts that would not be remedied by that situation being restored,

of an amount to be determined by the Court at a subsequent stage of these proceedings;

(v) provide adequate guarantees that it will refrain in future from preventing the Statute of the
River Uruguay of 1975 from being applied, in particular the consultation procedure

established by Chapter II of that Treaty.”

UFruguay:

“On the basis of the facts and arguments set out in Uruguay’s Counter-Memorial, Rejoinder
and during the oral proceedings, Uruguay requests that the Court adjudge and declare that the
claims of Argentina are rejected, and Uruguay’s ri ght to continue operating the Botnia plant in
conformity with the provisions of the 1975 Statute is affirmed.”

___________

The verbatim records of the hearings he ld between 14 Septembe r and 2 October 2009 are
available on the Court’s website (www.icj-cij.org).

___________

Information Department:

Mr. Andrey Poskakukhin, First Secretary of the Court, Head of Department (+31 (0)70 302 2336)

Messrs. Boris Heim and Maxime Schouppe, Information Officers (+31 (0)70 302 2337)
Ms Joanne Moore, Associate Information Officer (+31 (0)70 302 2394)
Ms Barbara Dalsbaek, Administrative Assistant (+31 (0) 70 302 2396)