Chilean president Ricardo Lagos said on Sunday that Peru's decision to redraw the sea border between the two countries was "surprising."

He told daily newspaper La Tercera that Lima's move also hurts neighboring Bolivia by making its possible access to the sea more difficult.

Although Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo had expressed his opinion on the topic a couple of times, the legislation in Peru was still a surprise, Lagos said.

"What bothers me is that when the decision was made to send the matter to parliament, we were not told," he said. "Peru had to know that it would produce a reaction on our part. It surprised me."

Earlier this month, Peru's congress amended a law to claim sovereignty over a sea area covering 35,000 square km of the Pacific Ocean, which had, until then, belonged to Chile, reports said.

Toledo signed the bill into law straight away, but the Chilean Foreign Ministry said the law had no effect for Santiago and that the equator should remain the sea border, as agreed in two previous treaties.

The change also obstructs land-locked Bolivia's hopes to have sea access one day as it means that the area where Bolivia might have sea access will barely have any sea territory, Lagos said.

Bolivia has been demanding that Chile give it access to the Pacific Ocean. Chile said it will only consider the matter if it does not mean giving up sovereignty.

(Xinhua News Agency November 21, 2005)