MONTEVIDEO, March 1 (Xinhuanet) -- Uruguay rejected Argentina's appeal for temporarily halting the construction of two pulp mills on Wednesday, calling the request "impertinent."

    "The request made by the president of Argentina (Nestor Kirchner), which we have respectfully taken into account, is an impertinent request," Uruguayan Vice President Rodolfo Nin said.

    Nin said Uruguay would help monitor the plants' impact on the Uruguay River shared by the two countries, adding that stopping work was not an option.

    Earlier in the day, Kirchner called on Uruguay to suspend the construction for 90 days, allowing time to defuse a dispute marring relations.

    "This dispute is raising tension, exchanges of words between Argentina and Uruguay. We need only 90 days," said the president.

    In recent months, the 1.7-billion-dollar project along the Uruguay River has caused diplomatic spat between the two countries,with Uruguay insisting on going ahead with construction and Argentina questioning the two pulp mills' potential environmental impact.

    On Feb. 8, Argentina threatened to take its complaints against the project to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Enditem