Chilean Minister of Agriculture Jaime Campos said Tuesday his country will not lift the ban imposed last Wednesday on the meat import from neighboring Argentina, after the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in its territory.

Campos told local media he will meet his Argentine counterpart Miguel Campos and reaffirm his country's decision.

The Argentine minister arrived in Santiago, the Chilean capital, on Monday to meet his Chilean counterpart, hoping to negotiate the import of Argentine meat from regions not affected by the disease, a proposal that has been accepted by Russia.

The Argentine minister said the ban seriously affects his country's export of relevant products, since Chile is the second largest buyer of Argentine beef behind Russia. In 2005, Chile bought 55,000 tons of Argentine beef, worth more than 160 million U.S. dollars.

The Chilean government has announced it will look for new imports from Brazil and boost its imports from Paraguay, the third largest meat seller in Chile's domestic market.

Source: Xinhua