Pulp Mills on the River Uruguay (Argentina v. Uruguay) - Conclusion of the public hearings on provisional measures

INTERNATIONAL COURT OF WSTICE

Peace Palace, 2517 KJ The Hague. Tel: +31 (0)70 302 23 23. Cables: Intercourt,
The Hague. Fax: +31 (0)70 364 99 28. Telex: 32323. E-mail address:

[email protected]. Internet address: http://www.icj-cij.org.

Press Release

Unofficial

No. 2006/44
19 December 2006

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

Conclusion of the public hearings on provisional measures

THE HAGUE, 19 December 2006. The public hearings on the request for the indication of
provisional measures submitted by Uruguay to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case
concerning Pulp Mills on the River Uruguay (Argentina v. Uruguay) concluded today.

Uruguay submitted its request for the indication of provisional measures on
29 November 2006 (see Press Release No. 2006/40).

Two rounds of public hearings were held on Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 December 2006 at
the Peace Palace, The Hague, seat of the Court. During the hearings, the delegation for Uruguay

was led by H.E. Mr. Héctor Gros Espiell, Ambassador of Uruguay to the French Republic, and
H.E. Mr. Carlos Gianelli, Ambassador of Uruguay to the United States of America, Agents. The
delegation of Argentina was led by H.E. Ms Susana Ruiz Cerutti, Ambassador and Legal Counsel
at the Argentinian Ministryf Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Religious Worship, Agent.

The Court's decision on the indication of provisional measures will be delivered in the
coming weeks. It will be read at a public sitting on a date to be announced in a forthcoming press
release.

At the conclusion of the oral proceedings, the Parties presented the following submissions:

Uruguay:

"Uruguay reiterates the terms of paragraph 28 of its request for the indication of
provisional measures and respectfully requests the Court, pending the final judgment,
to indicate to Argentina:

that it should take ali reasonable and appropriate steps to prevent or end the
interruption of transit between Uruguay and Argentina, including closure of the
bridges and roads linking the two States and the blockading or obstructing of
traffic thereon;

that it should abstain from any measure that might aggravate the present situation
or impede the seUlement or resolution of the dispute; -2-

that it should also abstain from taking any other measure that might infringe or

adversely affect the rights of Uruguay that are currently being considered by the
International Court of Justice."

Argentina:

"The Argentine Republic requests . . . the Court to declare that it has no
jurisdiction to entertain [the Uruguayan request] or to declare the request
inadmissible."

The verbatim records of the hearings of Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 December 2006 are

available on the Court's website (www.icj-cij.org), under "Docket" (click on the name of the case,
then on "Oral Pleadings").

Information Department:
Mrs. Laurence Blairon, Secretary ofthe Court, Head of the Department (+31 70 302 23 36)
Messrs. Boris Heim and Maxime Schouppe, Information Officers (+31 70 302 23 37)

Ms Joanne Moore, Assistant Information Officer (+31 70 302 23 94)
E-mail address: information @icj-cij.org