A call by Peru that Chile scrap a law linking military spending to copper revenues is "unacceptable" interference in sovereign affairs, Chile's government said Monday.
"It is unacceptable for the government of Chile that the foreign minister of another country tells Chile how it should legislate," said government spokesman Francisco Vidal.
He was referring to Peruvian Foreign Minister Antonio Garcia Belaunde who told the Peru21 daily on Sunday that Chile "would do well" to do away with the law "because obviously this purchase of arms is worrying."
Under the law dating back to the military dictatorship of Augusto Pincohet, Chile is obliged to spend 10 percent of its revenues from its extensive copper mining on weapons procurement.
The tripling of copper prices on world markets during the commodities boom of recent years means Chile's military spending has skyrocketed, to the unease of Peru, with which it has often tense relations.
In 2005, Chile became of the top spenders on defense in Latin America, attributing 3.54 percent of gross domestic product to the sector, according to the Latin American Security and Defense Network.
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