Before the end of this year, a meeting between the foreign ministers of Chile, Roberto Ampuero, and Argentina, Jorge Faurie, would be carried out in order to formalize an agreement for the creation of a bioceanic corridor between both countries. This would connect the regions of La Araucanía and the province of Neuquén. The meeting, according to preliminary information, would be made at the border crossing of Pino Hachado, located in the Lonquimay area, in the IX Region.
Precisely, this control is where the binational crossing of the corridor would take place, given that it is a customs office that operates all year round and that does not present periods of closure, since it is located at an altitude of 1,884 meters above sea level.
"The theme of the corridor advances very fast and climbed at the level of the chancelleries. In addition, it was included among the projects of the Impulse Plan, "the mayor of the IX Region, Luis Mayol, told El Mercurio, referring to one of the components of the" National Agreement for Development and Peace in La Araucanía ", which was presented on Monday in Temuco by President Sebastián Piñera.
The mayor said that on the Argentinian side "there is a lot of interest to realize this project, because they are starting to move some (gas) deposits in the sector of Zapala and want to take them through Chilean territory in the direction of Asian countries." The project includes a dry port in Victoria and the departure of cargoes to the sea by the Biobío or Los Ríos, since La Araucanía does not have a maritime terminal.
Mayol added that "for now, the roads we have are going to be reinforced to raise them to a higher standard, so that they have better resistance to the passage of trucks, as well as more comfortable berms," he anticipated.
In addition, he said that "here you can think of bigger things" and revealed, without giving more details, that "there is a company that is asking for information because it is interested in evaluating its participation in building a railroad" that connects with the Argentine railway system.
(Extract source: Lignum-CPI)
